It’s been a tough month for the Philadelphia Phillies and their fans. The club started the 2024 season strong, and they were on track to establish a franchise record for most victories in a season. The Phillies’ 2011 season was the best in franchise history, finishing 102-60.
The collapse from July 12 to August 13 left the baseball world perplexed about what had happened to the Phillies. Rob Thomson’s club lost 18 of its 26 games during that time. The Phillies were no longer baseball’s premier club, and their advantage in the NL East began to diminish. The city can finally breathe after the team’s most recent homestand, during which they went 4-2.
Big homestand sends Phillies back to the top of the power rankings.
The top of Major League Baseball’s standings is tight. The Phillies have the best record in baseball as of Aug. 19, before the schedule begins. Their recent performance has pushed them back to the top of MLB.com’s power rankings. The Phillies were previously ranked second on the list, after the Baltimore Orioles.
The Phillies dropped the first game of a six-game homestand against the Miami Marlins in Taijuan Walker’s return from the IL, following three straight road losses to the Arizona Diamondbacks, two of which were blowouts. It appeared that the difficult run would continue, and fans were becoming restless.
The Phillies were able to split the two-game series with the Marlins courtesy to a 9-5 comeback win, highlighted by a grand slam from Kyle Schwarber. It was a much-needed win ahead of a four-game series against the Washington Nationals.
The Phillies won the series opener with a 17-hit, 13-run day and a strong performance by Zack Wheeler on the mound. The Phillies went on to win the next two games, extending their winning run to four games. They lost the series finale to the Nationals in a close game, but their homestand was a triumph. The Phillies are beginning to resemble the club from the first part of the season again.
It will be a close race for the best record in the majors. It’ll also be a close race for the top record in the National League. The Phillies are currently leading the standings with 38 games remaining before the postseason. Three clubs are just 0.5 games behind the Phillies for baseball’s best record, while two are one game back. Two of those five teams are in the National League.
On Tuesday, the Phillies will begin a vital three-game series against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. They’ll play seven more games against their division opponents before the regular season ends. The Phillies have a seven-game lead over the Braves in the National League East.
The goal is to win every series from here on out. If the Phillies can do that, they will win the NL East and have a strong chance of receiving a first-round bye in the playoffs. They’ll try to build on their recent success and get back to winning baseball.
