Phillies Survived June; Could It Mean Bigger Things Ahead?
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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Not many, other than perhaps the players and their manager Gabe Kapler, thought the Phillies would be a consideration for the postseason by July 4. Four more setbacks and they would have finished 2017 with 100 losses. This year, there was supposed to be an improvement—but this upward arc is moving far more exponentially than probably what the Phillies even imagined.
June was a touchstone month. It included the bulk of a 42-game span where the Phillies were playing teams with .500 of better records. The Phillies finished 21-21 and went 13-14 through June, which included going 5-2 against National League East rival Washington and right-hander Zack Eflin going 5-0 with a 1.76 ERA.
The Phillies are 45-37, eight games above .500 after 82 games, and 3.5 games behind the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves, which is a 17-game difference to 28-54 and 21 games out of first place with nowhere to go in 2017.
The Phillies have done it with superb starting pitching and timely hitting.
What is amazing is that the Phillies are 28th in Major League Baseball in defense, with a .980 fielding percentage and their 59 errors are third in the MLB, behind the St. Louis Cardinals (69) and the Chicago White Sox (64). The other startling stat is their 789 strikeouts, which is fourth overall in MLB, behind San Diego (806), Texas (799) and the White Sox (797). San Diego and Texas occupy last place in the National League West and American League West, respectively, while the White Sox are first from last in the American League Central Division.
The Phillies are eight games over .500, yet just plus-6 in run differential.
Maybe some of this success is Kapler's doing. The Phillies are 17-7 in one-run games, off of 21-36 last year in one-run games and 39-42 at home. This season, they are 28-16 at home, tied with the San Francisco Giants (26-14 at home) for the best home record in the National League.
If the Phillies want to make a more secure foothold towards a playoff berth, these next three weeks are the time to do it. Baltimore (24-59), Pittsburgh (40-44), the New York Mets (33-38), Miami (35-51) and San Diego (37-49) are a joint 169-251, which equates to a .402 winning percentage. Baltimore, which the Phillies face three times, is a mess, with guys looking to jump ship.
Pittsburgh is the only team playing for anything, and the Phillies already swept the Pirates earlier this season, outscoring them 18-5 in four games. Meanwhile, Atlanta will face the New York Yankees, NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers, NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Nationals in 12 of their next 14 games.
This is the Phillies' reward for graduating June with a winning record: To stay relevant into August.