Phillies weren't the biggest winners from vital series win over NL East rival Braves

The New York Mets should thank the Philadelphia Phillies for bridging the gap between them and the Atlanta Braves in the NL Wild Card picture.
Atlanta Braves v Philadelphia Phillies
Atlanta Braves v Philadelphia Phillies / Tim Nwachukwu/GettyImages
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The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Atlanta Braves 3-2 Sunday night at Citizens Bank Park to secure a 3-1 series victory. 

Atlanta blew their second sixth-inning lead in four contests against Philadelphia, giving the latter a seven-game lead in the National League East standings. The win widened the gap between first and second in the division while opening the door for the third-place New York Mets. So, Phillies fanatics aren't the only ones celebrating the triumph.

While Mets fans typically pray for the Phillies' downfall, they're rejoicing about now being only one game behind the Braves. With that in mind, New York is potentially the biggest winner of the paramount series between Philly and Atlanta.

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The Mets are the biggest winners from the Phillies' vital series win over NL East rival Braves

Falling to 74-63, the Braves now trail the Phillies by seven games for the NL East crown. A chance at a divisional title is slipping away for Atlanta, and so is their grip on the third and final Wild Card spot. Meanwhile, the 73-64 Mets find themselves one contest behind Atlanta, giving them a shot at sneaking into the postseason.

Baseball Reference's playoff odds projections give the Braves a 62.6 percent chance of being a Wild Card team. The Mets have a 29.7 percent probability of accomplishing the feat. Odds aren't in the favor of New York, but Atlanta falling short in a contest with massive implications certainly helps.

New York and Philadelphia don't always get along in sports, especially in MLB. But when it's at the expense of the Braves, the two can find common ground. 

As six-time reigning divisional champs, the Braves have a standard of excellence to maintain. However, their bullpen woes in two of their latest ballgames versus Philly could ultimately cost them. 

Veteran slugger Nick Castellanos came up clutch for the Phillies in the series-clinching outing. He drove in all three of Philadelphia's runs, including a walk-off single in the 11th inning, to propel the club's conquest of Atlanta.

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