First is was nine in a row. Now it is four in a row. The two Phillies winning streaks serve as oversized bookends for just one loss, in other words, the Phils have won thirteen out of their last fourteen games. That's quite a run.
What's even more notable is that Sunday's win over the Reds brings the Phillies to within one game of the Mets for the lead in the National League East division. Had you told a Phillies fan one month ago that in mid-May, the team would be in this position, said fan would have asked the bartender to cut you off.
When the stretch of great play started, the Phillies were near the bottom of the NL in terms of OPS. Now, they have climbed to fourth. At one point, they were also near the bottom in team ERA, but are now just a shade under the league average.
The interesting thing about the last few weeks has been the fact that no one player has been a hero. Many players have stepped up big in order to pull the Phillies away from the hole they had dug for themselves. Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, Brett Myers, Cole Hamels, Jon Lieber, Aaron Rowand, and once again, yesterday, Ryan Howard -- just to name a few -- have all been heroes at one point or another.
While Howard did not start Sunday's game due to a flu bug which sent him to an emergency room the night before, leaving his immune system weakened to lefthanded pitchers, he hit a pinch-hit, game-tying homerun in the eighth inning [of of a lefthander] and a game-winning homerun in the top of the twelfth inning [again, off of a lefthander]. Ho-hum, such is the life of a Phillie over the last to weeks.
Monday is an off day for the Phillies, but on Tuesday, they will find themselves up against the Milwaukee Brewers at the House that Bud Built. Corey Lidle for the Phillies, Chris Capuano for the Brew Crew.
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In keeping with tradition, the bell must toll for the Phillies...once for the series win over the Mets, once for the series sweep of the Reds.
