Where do you start with this Phillies team right now? What’s harder to believe? The fact that they’ve won seven straight games and have a record of 26-14 since the trade deadline, or that the St. Louis Cardinals are in a complete free fall after losing 11 of their last 15?
For most of the season, anytime the Phillies seemed to take a step forward, something terrible would happen and stunt the team’s growth. Now everything seems to be breaking their way. They’re surging through their competition, and doing everything in their power to win every game from here on out in hopes of making an eleventh hour run at the Wild Card, and every team in front of them is losing.
The Cardinals, Dodgers, and Pirates are all ice cold right now.
The Cardinals had a firm grip on the second Wild Card slot, but they’re going into a collapse of New York Met proportions, and are opening the door for a number of teams to take it from them.
The Dodgers made more significant trades than any other team this year, acquiring big names like Hanley Ramirez, Shane Victorino, Joe Blanton, Adrian Gonzalez, and Josh Beckett. Yet, all of the additional star power hasn’t translated into victories, and LA has been unable to rise in either their division or Wild Card races.
The Pirates have been hanging around the playoff picture all season, but the wheels have been falling off for this young team, who have won just two of their last 10 games.
And then you have teams like the Phillies and Brewers, who are getting hot at the right time.
The Phillies won their seventh straight game on Wednesday afternoon, completing a sweep of the Miami Marlins. Remarkably, they’re rapidly gaining ground in the standings, and their odds of making the playoffs grow a little larger with each victory.
But as exciting as this run has been, all of this momentum can be destroyed with a single loss. The Phillies will now play a four-game set with the Houston Astros, one of the worst teams in baseball. Knowing what’s at stake, they really can’t afford to let any of these games get away. It’s difficult to sweep a four-game series, even against a terrible team, but the Phillies are going to have to do it.
Only 19 games remain, and although a three-game deficit doesn’t look like an impossible mountain to climb, the odds are still against them. Every game is a do-or-die situation, and on Thursday the team’s fate will be passed into hands of rookie Tyler Cloyd.
The Phillies have the right attitude though. Take it one game at a time, control what they can control, and let the rest take care of itself.
as stated its a long season and the phils had injuries and created some of their own mess with poor play, very unclutch hitting and a bullpen that was atrocious. a few mid season moves seemed to have helped chemistry, maybe this was addition by subtraction. Oh and a few clutch mid season pick ups haven’t hurt either… utley, howard and doc. Finally a few guys have stepped up– Aumont, Frandsen, kratz, brown from the farm and certainly Kendrick. Jimmy as frustrating as he can be certainly has hung in there and picked up HUGE hits.
ive been accussed of being up amaro’s ass. not true, i said only that he is aggressive and he has a plan. i’ve said he has somethng to do with their success of last year and their failure this year but that he has a plan and lets see how that plan goes. right now they still have a fighters chance– i have tickets for 9/27 and hope its a meaningful game. maybe even clinch (that would be early) a spot.
I see, you’ve had a moment of clarity, or an epiphany, & lost some of your delusions. I agree with you though, they finally brought up Aumont, DeFratus, & Cloyd, like I been bitching about, & it seems to be an improvement. Addition by subtraction, is correct. Reminds me of when we shipped Abreu’s @$$ outta here, & we immediately became better. As for being up Amaro’s @$$, you are. You have been nothing but an apologist, excuse maker, & his personal PR representative, all year. You have a short memory, of all of the defending that you gave him, & ripping you gave me, for speaking the truth on his flawed, fraudulent GM @$$. Make no mistake, this run is fools gold, just like the final 4 games of the Birds season, last year. We still need to be rebuilt, & Amaro & the entire staff, need to GO! As much as it pains me, they are not making the playoffs.
Next 4 days could be great as well. STL vs LAD and Phils vs Houston.
Cards and Dodgers Split, Phils sweep and they could be 1 game out on Monday.
Kendrick had been ridiculous and the Old Dogs are getting in on it.
Never thought I would say these words: Can’t wait until Frandsen comes back.
Pretty SAD, when the fans desperately can’t wait for a mediocre, career minor leaguer & journeyman, to come back. Pretty SAD state of affairs of where our team has degenerated & fallen to. This line-up is a joke. :'(
Aaah the meds are working I see, no all CAPS, just a few @&$&!&$&’ type of things you still have no idea what your talking about but at least you are doing int in a softer voice. Tell the counselor I said hi
You seriously are a douchebag, @$$clown. You’re the 1 who is a clueless, know nothing. We’ll see who was right, when the abortions don’t make the playoffs, & your dickhead false idol, butchers another off-season, with idiocy & ill-advised moves.
oops missed a dose! oh big balls there ‘we’ll see who is right’ when they are 4 games out at this time. all i’ve ever said is that they were right to go all in this year and that it hasn’t worked out for all the reasons that things in athletics don’t work out all the time. its that simple– i correctly stated that missing howard and utley was huge and that they would play better when they got back. that is simple and when i said it you went on a profanity laced all caps off your meds tirade! i said they had a run in them and that i’d stay on the wagon- they’ve made a run plain and simple– it may not work out in hte end but i’m sure that since you were a star athlete you know that sometimes things don’t work out in sports… maybe all your teams were perfect. mine weren’t.
It’s been a great run here for the Phils who are finishing strong and I tip my Cap to them for I never would have thought, that they could still potentially make in the Post-Season after playing lousy baseball for the 1st 4 Months of the Season.. Teams like the Dodgers,Cardinals,Pirates have all struggled over the last few weeks opening the door, while the Phils have gotten hot..
Which is why they play 162! The best team doesn’t always win! That is a fact of sports… Especially these days…there was no way the cards were better than the Phil’s last year. The got hot and played playoff baseball from sept. 1 on….. That is why you Phil’s and amaro action were knee jerk, bandwagon front runners.. And that is saying there is still a long way to go.. I by know means think they are a lock but it is at least interesting.
Damn iPad…that is why your reaction to the Phil’s and to amaro were knee jerk
And I by no means think they are a lock
After playing their asses off for the last 3 Weeks, how do the Phils drop 3 of 4 Games to he lowly Houston Astro… 15 Games left and they are 4 Games behind the Leadings Cards,3 behind the Dodgers, and 1 1/2 behind the Brewers.. Phils missed a golden opportuntiy this Weekend