Key series highlight NL schedule

The Colorado Rockies are making things very interesting in the National League at the moment, roaring up to take the lead in the Wild Card race and closing in on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the West Division. The Atlanta Braves are trying to follow suit. The Philadelphia Phillies are getting hot again, while the San Francisco Giants are in danger of fading away.

That's the situation as four NL playoff hopefuls get ready to play two important series this upcoming last week of August. The Braves visit the Phillies for three games starting Friday, and the Rockies hit San Francisco for three games with the Giants.

San Fran just had a chance to cut into Colorado's lead in the NL Wild Card standings, but dropped three of four games to the Rockies in Denver, capped by Ryan Spilborghs' game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the 14th on Monday night. So as the Giants head home to begin a three-game series with Arizona on Tuesday, and as Colorado welcomes the Dodgers to town for three games, the Rockies lead the NL Wild Card race by four games over San Francisco, and by 4.5 games over Atlanta.

Colorado, winner of 11 of its last 15 games, has also crept to within three games of first-place Los Angeles in the NL West, while the Giants, losers of nine of their last 15 games, have fallen seven games back.

So far this season the Rockies have taken seven of 12 games from San Francisco, with the totals going 5-6-1.

Philly just took three of four games from the Mets in New York, and has won 11 of its last 13 games. So while their lead in the NL East had dwindled from upwards of eight games earlier this summer to just 3.5 earlier this month, the Phillies have bumped it back up now to seven games over the Braves through Monday's play.

Philadelphia begins a three-game series in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, Atlanta just took two of three games from Florida over the weekend, and has won 13 of its last 18 games to overtake the Marlins for second place in the NL East. The Braves begin a three-game series vs. San Diego at Turner Field on Tuesday night.

Despite trailing them in the standings all year, Atlanta has taken eight of 12 games from the Phillies so far this season. And the totals have trended toward the UNDER by an 8-3-1 margin in the season series between these two teams.

As of Tuesday morning, Oddsmaker.com is listing Colorado as a -500 favorite to win the NL Wild Card race this year. San Francisco is getting +250, Atlanta +300, and Philadelphia +2,500.

On the updated Oddsmaker.com National League championship board, the Phillies are listed as co-second choices, along with the St. Louis Cardinals, at +300, behind only the Dodgers at +250. The Rockies and Giants are getting +500, and the Braves are offered at +1,200.

And Philly is listed along with the Dodgers at +700 on Oddsmaker.com's updated World Series betting board, behind only the Yankees at +300 and the Cardinals at +350, and followed by, among others, San Fran at +1,500, Colorado at +2,000, and Atlanta at +2,500.

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