Phillies Lose 5th Straight Game, Now Tied with Brewers for NL's Final Wild-Card Spot

The Philadelphia Phillies are on a downward spiral, and it could result in the team missing the playoffs.

With Thursday's 2-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs, the Phillies are now tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for the final wild-card spot in the National League.

The Phillies scored just three runs in 27 innings in their three-game series against the Cubs.

They have now lost 10 of their last 13 games and own an 83-72 record. They sit third in the NL East behind the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves.

Philadelphia's latest five-game losing streak is the team's second in the last two weeks. They lost five games straight starting with a 5-3 loss to the Miami Marlins on Sept. 15 and ending with an 18-11 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Sept. 20.

Before Thursday's loss, Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson told reporters he felt the team didn't have a significant sense of urgency despite its recent slide.

"Not any more than what’s normal. I think they’re pretty calm right now. Having fun," Thomson said. "Hopefully they’re really enjoying it. But we’ve got to win some games. We know that. Just part of the gig."

Now that the Phillies are in danger of losing a playoff spot, it might be time for the team to show some urgency, especially in its upcoming series against the 54-101 Washington Nationals.

The Phillies have won all but two games against the Nationals this season, and it's crucial they win this weekend's series against Washington because they are due to close out the year with a three-game series against the American League's best in the Houston Astros.

Unfortunately for the Phillies, the Brewers have an easier schedule to close out the season. They open up a four-game series against the 64-91 Miami Marlins on Thursday and have won two of three games against the club this season.

Milwaukee closes out the season with three-game stint against the 72-84 Arizona Diamondbacks, though they are 1-3 against the franchise this year.

If the Phillies and Brewers end the season tied for the final wild card spot, a tiebreaker scenario will determine which team heads to the postseason.

The first tiebreaker is the head-to-head record between the two teams involved. The Phillies won four of their six games against the Brewers this year, so they would be the team heading to the playoffs.

Had that not resolved the tie, the team with the best intra-divisional record would be selected for the playoffs.