Mets, Phillies Fight for NL East Survival

0:00It's April 23rd, I'm Cory with the story, this is MLB News today, driven by AI and built for baseball fans. The meds finally hit the breaks on their brutal 12-game losing streak last night, beating the twins 3-2 behind a strong outing from Clay. Homes and a clutch hit for Mark Vientos in the Afe. Meanwhile, the Phillies dropped their eighth straight to the Cubs in another blowout, leaving both teams tied at eight wins and 16 losses in the purse. National League East Basement. They're now eight-and-a-half games back of division leading Atlanta, the biggest gap in any division right now. Even the struggling royals are just five-and-a-half out in the American League Central. And out west, the Rockies are hanging closer to the Dodgers and Padres. Fans are buzzing about whether these squats can claw back, and history says it's possible. Teams like the Guardians overcame 15-and-a-half games. Back last July, in the Yankees 13, back in 1978. The off-expansion gives extra wild card shots, too.

1:01But here's the twist. The Mets and Phillies don't face off until June 18. So every loss piles on the pressure late in the season when they might not have room to stumble. With the National League Central so stacked, even the fifth-place brewers are five-and-a-half up on these two, both clubs need to go on tiers just to stay alive. So in baseball, Wild finishes one-two in the division aren't off the table.