When did the playoff-bound Phillies hit their low point? The data say June 2.
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- After clinching a playoff appearance on Tuesday night, the Phillies appear to have the wind at their backs in their quest to get back to the World Series. But that wasn't the case all season.
On June 2, the Phillies dropped their fifth straight game. It was an especially painful one, too. Against a rebuilding Washington Nationals team, the Phillies fell behind 6-0 early, battled back to tie the game at seven in the top of the 8th, only to see the Nats rally for a run in the bottom half of the inning on the way to an 8-7 win.
At 25-32, the loss dropped the Phillies into a tie for last in the NL East. After that game, according to baseball statistics site Fangraphs, the Phillies had just a 21% chance of making the playoffs. That was far lower than the odds for teams like the New York Yankees (79%), New York Mets (64%), and San Diego Padres (55%). None of those three teams will be part of the postseason, and all have long winters ahead of them with questions surrounding the futures of their front offices or managers (or both).
The day after hitting that low point, the Phillies began a seven-game winning streak. By the end of June, their playoff odds were over 50%. They never dropped below that mark the rest of the season, and now Phils fans are shopping for playoff tickets.
The Phillies have won 63 games since June 2, more than any MLB team except the Atlanta Braves.