The Phillies Are By Far The Best Team in Wild Card Race
Before last night’s 9-4 win over the Blue Jays, the Phillies had hit a rut. They dropped the final two games of the Twins series, scoring just 1 run between the two losses. Then in game 1 against the Blue Jays, Yusei Kikuchi gave up just 1 run over 6 innings, and then the Bullpen shut them down. The Phillies as a team hit .188 over those 3 games. And it brought up concerns about how the lineup performs vs good pitching.
But they did roar back with 9 runs and 3 HRs Wednesday night. Two of those homers came from Bryce Harper which was good to see. And despite dropping 3 in a row, they still have a decent grip on that first Wild Card spot. They lead the Giants by 2 games and the Cubs and Marlins by 3.5 games.
Before the 2nd Blue Jays game, Jayson Stark joined The Best Show Ever and was very confident about the Phillies’ chances to hold onto that top spot.
“Of all these teams in this wild card race, they are the best. I don’t know how they could possibly not make the playoffs. Try to find 3 teams good enough to overtake them. The Giants can pitch… they are also in the middle of a killer schedule stretch. The Marlins improved their lineup. They are also 11-19 since the break. The Cubs are good. They’re legit. But then you have these other teams. The Reds have lost 10 of 13. The Diamondbacks were 16 games over 500 a month ago. They just got back over .500 last night. The Padres have great names in their lineup, but they are 6-19 in 1 runs games. That is the worst record since 1935.”
So while we get frustrated by the inconsistency of the Phillies lineup, and Aaron Nola continuing to be the weak link in the rotation, it is important to step back and realize the teams the Phillies are competing with have even bigger issues. And even with those issues, the Phillies have still been a very good team since June.
“For all the issues the Phillies have they have played like a 102-win team since the first week of June. So I know it is everyone’s nature in our town to panic. But the Phillies are by far the best team in this field.”
That 102-win claim is not just Jayson Stark exaggerating either. Their winning percentage since June 1st is .621. That is 101 wins over a 162-game season. And only the Braves have a better winning percentage over the full course of the season. Since the All-Star Break, they are on a 91-win pace (.563), which is 7th best in the whole league. This is a good team, despite all of the issues.
And they are also a team where there is still a lot of room to improve if guys like Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, JT Realmuto, and Kyle Schwarber pick it up. Harper’s multi-HR night is a good sign he is coming around, and it continues a trend of Harper having a better power swing lately.
The only question is, will the Phillies be able to hit good pitching once they get into the playoffs? On that, Jayson Stark could not offer the same optimism.
“It is really not a disgrace to get shutdown by Pablo Lopez, Sonny Gray, and Yusei Kikuchi. They’re all in the upper tier of pitchers… But I think at the heart of the question is won’t they have to hit against great pitching in October? Of course the answer is yes. That’s a worry because this offense has almost never been what it is supposed to be this season.”
Hitting against Kevin Gausman was a good start, even if he did not have his best stuff. But the Phillies lineup needs to be better overall. They won’t be seeing guys like Dallas Kuechel or Trevor Williams in October. They will have to hit pitchers like Spencer Strider. The lineup has the potential to do that.
But a lot of the big names have not given them the big production we are used to. Trea Turner’s struggles are well documented, but he has been better since getting that standing ovation. Harper is still recovering from offseason surgery but still has a good average and the power is coming around. Kyle Schwarber’s batting average has hovered around .180 all year, though he still hits homers and draws walks. They need all 3 of them to be at their best if they are going to win in October and into November.
But at the very least, we have good reason to be confident they will be playing in those games. And not as the 3rd Wild Card like last year, but as the first Wild Card, with home-field advantage in the first series.
The Best Show Ever is asking for your help getting local teachers supplies for the upcoming school season:
The Teachers Of The Delaware Valley Need Our Help
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Holbein Middle School in Mount Holly, NJ
5th & 6th Grade Math and Reading to Special EdChrissy Griffoni
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