Where does this win leave the Phillies and their magic number in their quest to clinch the National League East? Thursday was a close affair but the Phillies came through with some late clutch hits and managed to cut down their magic number again. Phillies drop NL East magic number to 17 after series win over BrewersThe Phillies' win on Thursday means that their magic number to win the NL East dropped by one to 17. After getting a little closer to securing the division on Thursday, the Phillies are heavily favored to win the NL East, with their odds increasing again, slightly. But every Phillies win during that series cuts their magic number to clinch the NL East by two.