With the Phillies struggling over the past few weeks, it seemed as if they would be limping into the All Star break and be lucky to go into the break above .500.
After losing series to Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta, the Phillies were six games back in the NL East and seemed to be on the verge of falling out of the race before the midpoint of the season.
What a difference three games can make.
With the NL Central leaders Cincinnati in town, the Phillies took the first game on a 12th inning HR by Brian Schneider. Cody Ransom & Ryan Howard followed that up the next night with 2 run HRs in the 9th & 10th innings the next night.
After a brilliant pitchers’ duel between Roy Halladay and rookie Travis Wood, who took a perfect game into the 9th, Jimmy Rollins gave the Phillies a 3rd consecutive win with a hit in the bottom of the 11th to score Carlos Ruiz with the lone run of the game.
Cole Hamels goes for the Phillies in the last game of the series to try and get the sweep, but you have to feel as if the Phillies would rather just keep playing. The momentum from these past three games could be the turning point of the season that the Phillies need. Hopefully, the break won’t sap too much from them.
With Ryan Madson returning last night and Chooch back tonight, the Phillies are starting to get a bit healthy. Placido Polanco is scheduled to start his rehab next week, while Chase Utley remains a ways off from returning.
Even though the Phillies remain in 3rd place in the East, behind the Braves & Mutts, at 46-40, they’re only 2 games behind last year’s pace. The rest of the East has improved, and the Phillies remain right in the thick of it all.
WIth one game left before the break, a sweep of the Reds would be huge. I’m sure Halladay would appreciate it. He wanted to come to the Phillies to win a title. He might be the greatest 10-7 pitcher ever heading into the All Star break.
Could this streak signal the return of the Phillies from the past two years? It’s up to Puppy Purse Hamels to finish out the sweep tomorrow.
