The Phillies vs. “Good Teams” Myth You Shouldn’t Fall For

I can’t imagine many better months of my sports fandom than October 2022. So many things collided to make it one of the greatest sports memories of my life, and it culminated when the Philadelphia Phillies reached the World Series.

It was like the joy of finding a $20 bill in that suit you wore to that wedding months ago! It was unlikely and that makes it hard to conceive that the stars align like that the very next year. Special seasons like that are unique. I’ve even called it a unicorn run.

I made the claim that the Phillies could be right in the heart of the division race if they had just managed to play better against the Mets and Marlins.

They are 2-4 vs the Mets and 5-5 vs the Marlins. That 7-9 mark stands in contrast to the Atlanta Braves. The NL East leaders are 17-3 vs the same two teams. That is your division gap.

I was then told “Well, concentrate on the Phillies vs. good teams. If they do well, who cares?"

It makes sense to think that if you’re that mediocre in your own division, you must be beating the good teams. I took it at face value. I was wrong to do that. In fact, the Phillies aren’t beating the good teams. If the current standings hold:

The Phillies are currently 2-4 against the Braves this season. Thankfully, they have seven opportunities to put a different thought in their heads before a potential October clash.

They are 0-2 at home against Atlanta this season, so those four home games are a great chance to flip the script! I love playing Atlanta in a five-game series as opposed to a seven-game series. I do believe the better team wins seven-game series most of the time.

You were also 2-4 against the Dodgers this season. You were swept in Los Angeles and won a series at Citizens Bank Park. Facing the Dodgers in a short series would be desirable, but a seven-game series presents a huge challenge vs. the hottest team in MLB.

You have already lost a home series to the Brewers. You are currently 1-2 against them with a series coming up on the road. It would be imperative to send a message.

The Phillies were swept in their opening series against the Texas Rangers (0-3). They won a home series vs. the Orioles (2-1). They lost a home series vs. the Twins (1-2). So against the AL “good teams,” they finished 3-6.

The Phillies aren’t beating the good teams, but they have time to change that against the Braves and Brewers down the stretch. They are 8-16 vs. the six division leaders. Don’t just assume what people tell you is true. The unicorn is hard to find for a reason!

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Hollywood couldn't write a better story than the Philadelphia Phillies' no-hitter game on August 9, 2023. Game 3 in the series against the Washington Nationals could not have gone any better.

The Philadelphia Phillies are going through a very positive phase right now, kicked off by the city's rally behind a struggling Trea Turner.

On August 9, the team made magic. The game was a no-hitter, but more noteworthy things happened in the same game. For one, Nick Castellanos hit two home runs, hitting 200 overall career home runs.

Another highlight was the home run hit by Weston Wilson in the second inning. Wilson, at 28 years old, hit his first major league home run during his first-ever major league at-bat. How amazing is that? The Phillies called Wilson up from the minors just days prior. On the third pitch Wilson saw, the left fielder hit one into the seats in left-center. His teary-eyed family watched on.

Then, in his home debut for the Phillies, just a week after being traded, pitcher Michael Lorenzen threw a no-hitter. This was the Phillies' first no-hitter at home since Roy Halladay pulled it off in 2010. Lorenzen's mother, wife, and young daughter watched on. Lorenzen said it became clear to him in the fifth inning that a no-hitter was entirely possible. By the eighth inning, seeing that Rob Thomson had not pulled Lorenzen out yet, it was clear to fans that it could happen, too.

Thomson, just before the eighth, gave Lorenzen 20 more pitches, with a warning to be "efficient." And efficient he was.