BETUS
Cash: $ FP: $ My Account Quick Deposit Login Join Logout
  • Sportsbook
  • Live Betting
  • Casino
  • Racebook
  • Promotions
  • BetUS TV
  • More
  • Contests
  • Loyalty
  • Locker Room
  • Crypto Help
THE LOCKER ROOM SPORTS BETTING NEWS, STATS, ODDS & FREE PICKS
BetUS Advertisement BetUS Advertisement
  • NFL
    • NEWS
    • THE NFL SHOW
    • INJURIES
    • PICKS
    • ODDS
    • MONDAY NIGHT GAME
    • 10 NFL FACTS
    • MATCHUPS
      • Bengals vs Rams Super Bowl LVI
      • CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
      • DIVISIONAL
      • WILD CARD
      • NFL WEEK 18
      • NFL WEEK 17
      • NFL WEEK 16
      • NFL WEEK 15
      • NFL WEEK 14
      • NFL WEEK 13
      • NFL WEEK 12
      • NFL WEEK 11
      • NFL WEEK 10
      • NFL WEEK 9
      • NFL WEEK 8
      • NFL WEEK 7
      • NFL WEEK 6
      • NFL WEEK 5
      • NFL WEEK 4
      • NFL WEEK 3
      • NFL WEEK 2
      • NFL WEEK 1
    • TEAMS
    • COVID-19 UPDATES
  • NBA
    • NEWS
    • THE NBA SHOW
    • PICKS
    • ODDS
    • TEAMS
    • COVID-19 UPDATES
  • NCAAB
    • NEWS
    • PICKS
    • MARCH MADNESS: PICKS & PREDICTIONS
    • MARCH MADNESS ODDS
    • The NCAAB Show
  • MLB
    • NEWS
    • PICKS
    • ODDS
    • WORLD SERIES
    • TEAMS
    • COVID-19 UPDATES
  • Soccer
    • NEWS
    • PICKS
    • ODDS
    • THE PREMIER LEAGUE SHOW
    • The Serie A Show
    • The Bundesliga Show
    • La Liga Show
    • The Champions League Show
    • The Europa League show
  • NHL
    • NEWS
    • THE NHL SHOW
    • PICKS
    • ODDS
  • TENNIS
  • HORSE RACING
    • NEWS
    • PICKS
    • ODDS
  • UFC & MMA
    • NEWS
    • PICKS
    • ODDS
  • Esports
    • ESPORTS NEWS
    • ESPORTS PICKS
    • ODDS
  • NCAAF
    • NEWS
    • THE NCAAF SHOW
    • PICKS
    • ODDS
    • BOWL GAMES
    • COVID-19 UPDATES
  • More
    • Boxing
      • NEWS
      • PICKS
      • ODDS
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • NASCAR
    • Rugby News & Picks
    • Cricket
    • More Sports
    • How to bet on sports
    • OLYMPIC GAMES
No Result
View All Result
MLB
NEWS PICKS ODDS TEAMS COVID-19 UPDATES
BETUS
Cash: $ FP: $ My Account Quick Deposit Login Join Logout
  • NFL
    • NEWS
    • THE NFL SHOW
    • INJURIES
    • PICKS
    • ODDS
    • MONDAY NIGHT GAME
    • 10 NFL FACTS
    • MATCHUPS
      • Bengals vs Rams Super Bowl LVI
      • CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
      • DIVISIONAL
      • WILD CARD
      • NFL WEEK 18
      • NFL WEEK 17
      • NFL WEEK 16
      • NFL WEEK 15
      • NFL WEEK 14
      • NFL WEEK 13
      • NFL WEEK 12
      • NFL WEEK 11
      • NFL WEEK 10
      • NFL WEEK 9
      • NFL WEEK 8
      • NFL WEEK 7
      • NFL WEEK 6
      • NFL WEEK 5
      • NFL WEEK 4
      • NFL WEEK 3
      • NFL WEEK 2
      • NFL WEEK 1
    • TEAMS
    • COVID-19 UPDATES
  • NBA
    • NEWS
    • THE NBA SHOW
    • PICKS
    • ODDS
    • TEAMS
    • COVID-19 UPDATES
  • NCAAB
    • NEWS
    • PICKS
    • MARCH MADNESS: PICKS & PREDICTIONS
    • MARCH MADNESS ODDS
    • The NCAAB Show
  • MLB
    • NEWS
    • PICKS
    • ODDS
    • WORLD SERIES
    • TEAMS
    • COVID-19 UPDATES
  • Soccer
    • NEWS
    • PICKS
    • ODDS
    • THE PREMIER LEAGUE SHOW
    • The Serie A Show
    • The Bundesliga Show
    • La Liga Show
    • The Champions League Show
    • The Europa League show
  • NHL
    • NEWS
    • THE NHL SHOW
    • PICKS
    • ODDS
  • TENNIS
  • HORSE RACING
    • NEWS
    • PICKS
    • ODDS
  • UFC & MMA
    • NEWS
    • PICKS
    • ODDS
  • Esports
    • ESPORTS NEWS
    • ESPORTS PICKS
    • ODDS
  • NCAAF
    • NEWS
    • THE NCAAF SHOW
    • PICKS
    • ODDS
    • BOWL GAMES
    • COVID-19 UPDATES
  • More
    • Boxing
      • NEWS
      • PICKS
      • ODDS
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • NASCAR
    • Rugby News & Picks
    • Cricket
    • More Sports
    • How to bet on sports
    • OLYMPIC GAMES
No Result
View All Result
Sports betting at America's Sportsbook - BetUS
Cash: $   FP: $ Login Join
MLB
NEWS PICKS ODDS TEAMS COVID-19 UPDATES
  • UFC & MMA Betting
  • NHL
  • Horse Racing
  • Tennis
  • Golf
  • Boxing
  • Motorsports
  • NASCAR
  • Cricket
  • Esports Betting Analysis, Picks & Predictions

Home » MLB Betting » MLB News » NL East Homestretch Report Card

NL East Homestretch Report Card

Ryan Knuppel by Ryan Knuppel
Aug 20, 2021, 12:55pm ET
in MLB News
Josh Tomlin of the Atlanta Braves delivers a pitch during the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park

Michael Reaves/Getty Images/AFP

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on RedditShare via EmailShare on StumbleuponShare on Pinterest

The National League East is one of the tightest division races as the baseball season turns toward the finish line for the regular season. The Atlanta Braves have streaked to a nice lead, but the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets are just a hot stretch away from making it tight at the top of the standings.

A division title might be the only way an NL East team gets into the postseason, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, and St. Louis Cardinals all above every division team in the Wild-Card standings. As far as the other two teams in the division, the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins are building toward 2022.

Check out BetUS to see the odds for all of the division races.

BetUS Advertisement BetUS Advertisement

Atlanta Braves (65-56)

The season-ending injury suffered by Ronald Acuna Jr. was thought to be a crushing blow to the Braves’ chances at winning the NL East for a fifth straight season. Atlanta has gone 21-12 since the injury, heading into Friday’s series opener against Baltimore with a 3½-game lead in the division.

Much of that has to do with the play of two other Atlanta All-Stars, first baseman Freddie Freeman and second baseman Ozzie Albies. Freeman, the reigning NL MVP, has found his form again and is coming off hitting for the cycle on Wednesday, which raised his batting average to .301.

“You know me, I like the three at the start of the batting average,” Freeman said after Wednesday’s win. “Obviously, I didn’t get off to the start I wanted this year, but luckily, it wasn’t a 60-game season.

“I feel for about two or three months, I’ve been doing pretty well, so I have six weeks to close this out. So I have to keep going.”

Atlanta picked up Adam Duvall, Joc Pederson, and Jorge Soler to fortify its lineup, while its rotation is picking up steam of late. The Braves have a key eight-game stretch against the Yankees, Giants, and Dodgers starting Monday, but if they can get through that in decent shape, they should be the favorites in this race.

Braves Homestretch Grade: A

Philadelphia Phillies (61-59)

The Phillies were flying high and tied atop the division just a little over a week ago, but six losses in eight games have them looking up at the Braves. A groin injury to first baseman Rhys Hoskins certainly hasn’t helped, as he leads the team in home runs and RBIs. He should be back any day now, and the Phillies need him.

Consistency has been a problem for the Philadelphia offense, as shown by its seven total hits over two games against Arizona this week, and having Hoskins and Bryce Harper hot is a key to the Phillies’ division title hopes. Getting consistency from the starting rotation will be key as well. Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola have been workhorses, but manager Joe Girardi has had to cobble together his starting staff at times.

Philadelphia has a nice road ahead of it, though, with 27 of its final 41 games against teams that are currently fourth or fifth in their respective divisions and have little to no hope of playoff contention.

Phillies Homestretch Grade: B

New York Mets (60-60)

The Mets were also flying high just a couple of weeks ago but are in the middle of a stretch of four straight series against the top two teams in baseball, the Giants and the Dodgers. Injuries have hurt New York, especially the elbow injury for Jacob deGrom, who has been out since July 7 and will likely be shut down for the season.

Injury has also taken the team’s top trade-deadline acquisition, shortstop Javier Baez, as he’s been out with back spasms, as well as Francisco Lindor, who has been sidelined with an oblique strain. Top hitter Pete Alonso was hit by a pitch on Wednesday and is considered day-to-day, but there’s not a lot of time for New York to get healthy if they want to stay in the division race.

The Mets do get 14 straight games against the bottom two teams in the NL East starting next weekend but only have one series apiece left against the Phillies and Braves, so they’ll need some help.

Mets Homestretch Grade: C-

Washington Nationals (52-68)

The Nationals made their intentions for the rest of the season known at the trade deadline when they gutted the team in multiple trades. Kyle Schwarber, Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, and Jon Lester were among those sent packing, leaving Juan Soto to try to keep the Nats competitive the rest of the way.

Washington has some rebuilding to do, so jettisoning some veterans now is only going to speed up the process. Unfortunately, that means another year without the postseason after the magical 2019 run to the World Series title.

The Nationals have a chance to play spoiler with a 14-game stretch against the top three teams in the division standings at the end of August into early September, but that’s really all there is to play for now.

Nationals Homestretch Grade: D

Miami Marlins (51-70)

The Marlins have some nice pieces for the future, but we’ve heard that before. The starting trio of Trevor Rogers, Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez are all 25 or younger, so there’s great potential there. The Marlins’ pitching staff has the 11th-best ERA in baseball (3.91) despite one of the worst records in the game.

Veterans Starling Marte and Duvall were dealt away at the trade deadline, and Jesus Aguilar might have joined them if he wasn’t on a one-year deal currently. Building for the future is a yearly occurrence in South Florida, and this year is no exception.

Playing against playoff-contending teams in 10 of their final 13 series won’t make things easy on the young Marlins.

Marlins Homestretch Grade: F

Tags: mlb news
Ryan Knuppel

Ryan Knuppel

Ryan Knuppel has been writing about sports & sports betting topics online for over 15 years. He was a college basketball All-American in the early 2000's and has always had a deep understanding for sports. Ryan was the 2011 Buffalo Wild Wings National "Pickem" Winner which earned him a trip to play flag football with Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders. He was also a 2015 FanDuel.com Playboy Mansion NBA Championships Qualifier in daily fantasy sports. But his true claim to fame is the fact that he has played basketball with and against THE Michael Jordan numerous times in his life. Ryan is excited to be writing and covering sports here and would love to hear from you on social media.

Next Post
Bundesliga Predictions Matchday 2: German Soccer Odds & Soccer Picks

Bundesliga Predictions Matchday 2: German Soccer Odds & Soccer Picks

MLB Picks, Predictions & Betting Odds

NFL Season Betting Strategy | Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail

Stay Connected

Recommended

Yankees vs Orioles Predictions, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks, May 17

Yankees vs Orioles Predictions, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks, May 17

May 17, 2022
Reds vs Guardians Predictions, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks, May 17

Reds vs Guardians Predictions, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks, May 17

May 17, 2022
Aston Villa vs Burnley Predictions, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks

Aston Villa vs Burnley Predictions, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks

May 17, 2022
Panthers vs Stallions Predictions, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks

Panthers vs Stallions Predictions, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks

May 16, 2022
BetUS Advertisement BetUS Advertisement
Sports Betting

SPORTSBOOK

  • Online Sportsbook
  • NFL Odds
  • NBA Odds
  • MLB Odds
  • World Series Odds
  • NHL Odds
  • NCAAF Odds
  • NCAAB Odds
  • UEFA Champions League Odds
  • Nascar Odds
  • OIympic Games Odds
  • French Open Odds
  • Live Betting

CASINO

  • Online Casino Games
  • Tournaments
  • Bonus Play
  • Play Blackjack
  • Online Slots
  • Casino Guide
  • How to Play Blackjack

HORSE RACING

  • Racebook
  • Horse Racing Odds
  • Horse Racing Rules
  • Racebook Glossary
  • Horse Race Betting
  • Pegasus World Cup
  • Triple Crown Betting
  • Horse Racing News

INFORMATION

  • Sports Betting News
  • BetUS Sportsbook Reviews
  • How to Bet Online
  • How to Bet On Sports
  • About Us
  • Rules & Regulations
  • Help & FAQ
  • Press Room
  • Sporting Events Odds
  • Affiliates

BETTING OFFERS

  • Casino Promotions
  • Bonuses
  • Contests
  • Sign Up Bonus
  • Crypto Bonus
  • Casino Bonus
  • Refer a Friend

OTHER

Why Join?
Contact Us
1 (800) 792-3887
Email
BetUS Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Sportsbook Sitemap
IF YOU HAVE A GAMBLING PROBLEM, CALL 1-800-GAMBLER
license certificate

© 1994 - 2022 BetUS.. All Rights Reserved The BetUS Brand and Logo are trademarks of BetUS. BetUS is a premier online sportsbook and gambling destination. BetUS is a fully licensed sportsbook providing a reliable and secure sports betting service to millions of satisfied online betting customers world wide since 1994. BetUS offers football betting, live and NFL odds all season long.

Why Join? My Account
Sportsbook
Live Betting
Racebook
Promotions
Casino
Contests
Locker Room
BETUS TV
Loyalty
Crypto Help
Chat
  • Help
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Rules & Regulations
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Logout
Net6Premium