The Phillies may play in Philadelphia, but right now they look more like a team from Phoenix, given how their division titles have risen from the ashes over the last week.
Ryan Howard and the Phillies have risen from the ashes in the NL East race.
Back on July 21, the Phils lost their fifth in a row and were 1-7 in their last eight games. Since then, they now have amassed the longest winning streak in the majors: seven games and counting.
All the cylinders are firing right now. During the winning streak, they have outscored the opposition by a resounding 43-15 margin. The first two games were shutouts. The Phillies .288 batting average is best in the National League over the seven-game stretch, though it’s no match for the absurd .363 figure that the Twins put together, thanks mainly to their demolition of the Royals in a three-game series.
Raul Ibanez has hit .409 over the last seven days. Jayson Werth appears to be thriving on trade rumors, as he’s at .381 over the last week. Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard are also doing their part at .346.
Werth’s success makes one wonder if the Phillies will part with him after all. Thanks to the streak, Philadelphia now trails Atlanta by just 3 ½ games, and they are only 2 ½ games out in the wild card race.
The only sobering note is that their last two wins are against Arizona, the worst team in the league. Next month will feature a tougher schedule, including a road trip against all of the good teams in the NL West. Then again, they face the Nationals pretty often in August and September.
There’s a ways to go, but the Phillies could continue to make it interesting.
