The last few weeks of Phillies baseball have been some of the most fun I have had watching the team since the wondrous days of the late 2000’s with the core of J-Roll, Howard, Utley, and Hamels.
There was always something special about watching that core; Unbelievable chemistry, miraculous moments, and players stepping up when the team needed them most.
We all know the past ten years of Phillies baseball have been underwhelming (to say the least), but for the first time in over a decade, it truly feels like this current roster has that it factor that has been sorely missing.
Even with injuries to Cutch and Hoskins (and now possibly Herrera), the Phils continue to find a way. Whether it be the continued emergence of Brad Miller (.321 average in July) as a serious threat at the plate , the season-long tear of Jimmy Cigs aka Jean Segura (.309 BA), or the MVP caliber play by OUR guy Bryce Harper (.333 BA in July and .367 so far in August), the Phillies continue to prove that they are more than deserving of the NL East crown.
Oppo 🌮 and this man cannot be stopped! pic.twitter.com/CILQFV8RPm
— James Santore (@JamesSantore) August 8, 2021
But the bats are only a part of the story. Yesterday, Zack Wheeler threw one of the best games in Phillies history. Add in the fact that the Phils retired Roy Halladay’s 34 (RIP Roy) yesterday AND the fact that Wheeler was facing his old team, and the legend of the performance only grows.
Deadline acquisition Kyle Gibson has been dominant thus far, posting a 2.13 ERA in 12.2 innings of work and earning two wins for his efforts. Fellow deadline acquisition Ian Kennedy has been a bit erratic at times but has also been valuable as another “premium” arm out of the pen. Even fan-favorite JD Hammer has reemerged as valuable piece of the pen, throwing some extremely clutch innings in Saturday’s win against the Mets.
With Hoskins and Cutch (hopefully) returning soon and guys like Sam Coonrod, Zach Eflin, Connor Brogdon, and eventually forgotten star Seranthony Dominguez, the Phils bullpen looks to have an arsenal of weapons for the first time in years.
1-2-3 for Seranthony Dominguez making his first rehab start for the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/gY1ORdV00i
— The Liberty Line (@LibertyLinePHL) August 4, 2021
The Phils are 2 games up on the Braves (2.5 up on the Mets) with 70 games left. We haven’t had playoff baseball since the dramatic end to the NLDS vs the Cardinals in 2011, and all of the sudden the team that many fans (myself included) were ready to give up on has the best chance to return to the promised land since that 2011 team.
Philly needs a Red October. Philly is a baseball city. And this team is about to remind the world of that.
This is a critical moment for Phillies baseball. 8 game win streak. 2.5 games up. The future is now. Here’s to hoping its a Red October.
(P.s. It sucks watching this run from afar in Chicago, although I will make sure to let everyone know that I’ve been repping real hard with my Philly friends out here and we make sure every bar has the game on. Hardly home but always repping!)
Kudos to the @NBCSPhilly camera operator today. Doing the lords work pic.twitter.com/aAlWhch5ag
— James Santore (@JamesSantore) August 8, 2021
