The Phillies entered the break looking like a club built to stay in the thick of the National League East race. At 54-43, they were right on the heels of the Braves and still carrying plenty of momentum. But the second half has turned into a grind, and the standings have started to reflect it.
Philadelphia stumbled out of the gate after the break, dropping series to the Mets, Dodgers, Yankees and Marlins. When they lost the opener against the Orioles, their record had fallen to 3-10.
They steadied things briefly by winning five of six, but more recent series losses to the Blue Jays and Cardinals pushed them back into trouble. For the first time since June 2, they’re now on the outside of the National League playoff picture.
That slide makes Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report’s bold call look less like a hot take and more like a live possibility: the Phillies missing the playoffs. At the time that prediction was published, Philadelphia was tied with the Diamondbacks and holding one of the final two Wild Card spots. By Aug. 13, the Phillies had been passed by the Padres and, via tiebreaker, were sitting behind Arizona as well, leaving them fourth in the Wild Card standings.
There’s still plenty here to like on paper. The lineup has the kind of star power that makes it hard to fully dismiss them, especially with Luis Arraez now joining Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner and Brandon Marsh. Bryson Stott has also heated up lately, giving the offense a little more length.
But the inconsistency is the problem, and it keeps showing up at the worst times. After taking the first game against St.
Louis by a 6-5 score, the Phillies managed just one run over the final two games of that series. That left them with eight games in the second half in which they’ve scored zero or one run.
Even a strong pitching staff can only carry so much. Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo have anchored the rotation, but the Phillies just lost back-to-back starts from Sanchez and Wheeler against the Cardinals. Wheeler, in particular, has been shaky, allowing at least four earned runs in all but one of his second-half outings.
The bullpen hasn’t made life easier. It’s been overworked and stretched thin as Philadelphia finishes a stretch of 14 games in 14 days, including three extra-inning games in five days.
And the schedule isn’t doing them any favors. The Phillies have the toughest remaining stretch among the three teams around them in the Wild Card race, with Arizona and San Diego facing a softer path. If Philadelphia doesn’t clean this up fast, the season could slip away before there’s time to recover.
In Other News...
Phillies May Have Found A Long Term Answer Behind J.T. Realmuto
The Phillies spent the trade deadline shoring up several areas of need, but they stopped short of adding another starting pitcher and instead appeared willing to lean on Andrew Painter for rotation help. In the broader picture, that kind of deadline plan says a lot about where the organization believes its depth is strongest, and it also keeps attention on the pipeline for the biggest long-term questions on the roster.
One of those questions is behind the plate, where Alirio Ferrebus has started to build real momentum in the minors. The sixth-best prospect in the system and the highest-rated catcher in the Phillies organization, Ferrebus has drawn notice for his offense and his work defensively, giving the club a possible future answer at a position that has belonged to J.T. Realmuto for years. The idea is still early, but it is the sort of development that can quietly shape how the Phillies plan the next phase of their roster. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Trade Addition Suddenly Looks Like A Home Run Bet Again
Kyle Schwarber keeps looming as one of the Phillies most dangerous power bats, especially when the matchup lines up for a swing that can change a game in one crack of the bat. With Philadelphia always searching for production in the middle of the order, his ability to force pitchers to work around him gives the lineup a different kind of edge, and it is no surprise he remains a fixture in home run conversations whenever the schedule turns favorable.
The latest look at his home run case comes with a familiar kind of tension: the kind that follows Schwarber from series to series, where one big swing can feel inevitable before the box score proves it. He has been steady enough to stay in the conversation as a long-shot power play, and the matchup details only sharpen the interest, even if the final answer is left hanging until first pitch. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Leave Door Open To Bigger Alex Cora Talk Later
Dave Dombrowski didnt shut the door on Alex Cora, but he made it clear the Phillies are not in the business of chasing that conversation right now. Asked about the possibility of the former manager returning to Philadelphia down the road, the team president said his focus remains on the current season and the work still left on the field.
Even so, Dombrowskis comments left room for a longer look later. He praised Cora as a very good big league manager and a friend, which is about as warm as these things tend to get in October or any other month, but any real discussion about his future with the Phillies is going to wait until after the season. [Read more 🡒]