Philadelphia Phillies Are Left Searching For Answers as Postseason Hopes Slip Away
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The Philadelphia Phillies lost again on Thursday to the Chicago Cubs. Their postseason future is even further in doubt.
It’s tough to find words when describing this Philadelphia Phillies team right now. It’s a franchise known for their September collapses, but what they are engineering right now is unlike anything we have seen in recent memory.
With their loss to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday afternoon, the Phillies have now gone 3-10 in their last 13 games. Somehow, Philadelphia is still in the postseason hunt. For now.
However, those chances are rapidly decreasing with each passing day. It won’t get any easier with the change to the upcoming schedule.
If there is any silver lining to Thursday’s loss, it’s that Bryce Harper seems to have turned a corner as he went 3-for-4 at the dish—all singles. Of course, it may be too little, too late for this team.
Additionally, Ranger Suárez tossed 6.0 innings while allowing just two earned runs. His offense was unable to pick him up. Silly mental errors and lack of timely hitting did the offense, and Suárez, no favors.
Additionally, on a positive note, they now sit dead even with the Milwaukee Brewers for the final NL Wild Card spot due to a tiebreaker. That means the Phillies will have to perform well against the Washington Nationals, something they have done all year, then dig deep against the Houston Astros to finish off the season.
Philadelphia will now travel to Washington D.C. for what will be a doubleheader on Friday. A couple of wins and a potential Brewers loss could help change this entire narrative.
But for now, only a cloud of negativity floats above this club. The fans, management, and perhaps most of all, the players, expect more from this team.
It’s not over yet, but it sure feels like we are all watching one of the slowest deaths this Phillies team has faced yet after another implosion on Thursday.
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