NL (F)East

The Yankees are not the only New York team to have a big series this weekend, as the Mets play division rivals the Atlanta Braves. Only 3 games separate the top four teams in the NL East, and there are some interesting matchups over the next few days. This weekend the Mets play the Braves and the Phillies face the Cubs, whilst the Marlins should have an easier time of it in Montreal. Come Monday, the Mets will head off to Montreal, the Phillies and the Marlins will play each other and the Braves will play the Pirates. There are never any guarantees in the game of baseball, but it’s obvious that the division race could be much clearer by Thursday of next week. It’s certainly a key time for the Phillies, who, over the next ten or eleven days, will play three games against the Marlins and six games against the Cubs (who, although they trail division rivals the Cardinals by 10 games, still have a better record – 51-44 – than all the teams in the NL East, including the Braves). There ought to be some good baseball in store over the coming days.