When we last checked in with the standings after the All-Star break, we called for a moratorium on all post-season talk. That hasn't stopped other outlets from discussing it, but we've done our part by avoiding it here... until now. We're placing our moratorium on hiatus.
Nobody can deny the Phillies are suddenly playing an exciting brand of baseball unlike at any other point this season, and with the trade deadline less than a week away, there really is no ignoring the question anymore. With an 8-4 record since the break, which includes a pair of four-game winning streaks and multiple come-from-behind victories, is this club in the midst of a last-ditch playoff push?
While progress in the standings is slow going -- non-existent in the NL East, really -- there is progress for the Wild Cards nonetheless. They've only moved up by 0.5 games, but with their sweep of Milwaukee, are poised to leave at least one team in the rearview mirror. The Marlins, already selling, appear likely to falter next. If the Phillies continue to put up this fight, passing both is only a matter of time.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Meanwhile, standing off in the distance two weeks ago, the Mets are suddenly reeling. In this short stretch, they've gone from 0.5 back of a playoff spot to 7.0. There's still plenty of games left for them turn it around, and New York has been on the seesaw all year, but it's saying something that the Phillies are not much further out at this stage.
We all knew the Phils would need some of the teams ahead of them to fall down around them, but they have a golden opportunity to take care of their business over the weekend and ahead. The Fightins head down to Atlanta for a series with the Braves, then after a trip to Washington to face the NL East-leading Nationals, consecutive home dates with their direct competition for the WC -- Arizona, Atlanta again, and St. Louis.
In fact, every series from now until September 7 is with an opponent that is currently either ahead of the Phillies or tied in the Wild Card standings, or leading their division. That's a brutal road.
Making the playoffs is still a long shot, but the Phils certainly control their own destiny. Whether Ruben Amaro believes the club can do it may be entirely dependent on how they fare in this upcoming series against the Braves, which means he'll probably hold off on any landscaping trades for at least another couple of days. If they take even two of three in Atlanta over the weekend, which would keep them on the absurd .667 pace thought to be necessary to reach the postseason, should the front office keep the band together and try to make a run?
News
What a call. It would be a lot easier to put the moratorium's hiatus on permanent leave, but it's fun that the Phillies could even make someone believe they might have this in them.