Philadelphia Phillies Face Critical Stretch before All-Star Game
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The Philadelphia Phillies signed Bryce Harper to help provide offensive help and experience in the field. While the start of the season saw the Phillies sit atop of the NL East, they are now 2.5 games (as of games played through 6/16) behind the Atlanta Braves for first. As a result, they need to finish June and the beginning of July strong or else they could be quickly planning for the future instead of this season’s postseason play.
While Jay Bruce’s recent addition added an offensive spark, the Phillies dropped two games on the road against NL East-leading Atlanta. The aformentioned series was the beginning of 23-straight divisional games for the Phillies before the All-Star break.
The injury bug hasn’t been kind to the Philadelphia Phillies this season but they’ve shown flashes of brilliance and potential to shine earlier this season even with players on the mend. There have been plenty of games where the Phillies made a great comeback to show they can face adversity head-on.
However, this past series against the Braves was ugly at times. The one loss was a blowout and the other loss occurred after the Phillies got out to a fast start. Their lone win occurred after fighting back to even the series at one.
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All in all, Gabe Kapler’s squad faces a critical stretch heading into the All-Star Break. It could make or break the season depending on the end result. Currently, the Phillies are seven games above .500 and are still within reach of retaking the NL East’s top spot and being buyers at the All-Star Break.
However, the ball is in their court but a long losing streak could change the outlook of the 2019 season.
Do you think the Philadelphia Phillies can be successful during the long stretch of NL East divisional games? Or will their season be over by the All-Star Game? Let us know in the comment section below.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
