Go Ahead, Dream a Little as Phillies Open Massive Series Against Mets
For the Phillies, a late-inning rally that spurs a comeback win isn’t a new achievement. In fact, this flawed-but-resilient team has managed four such victories over the last 11 days.
But the one they staged against the Nationals to complete a four-game sweep in Washington yesterday felt, I don’t know, different. Didn’t it?
Maybe it was the context.
Many of those previous come-from-behind victories simply helped avert disasters. For instance, take Brad Miller’s grand slam against the Nationals last week. It was a big moment for a then-struggling team, but it merely helped the once again .500 Phillies avoid an embarrassing doubleheader sweep and a series loss to a Nationals squad that was, quite literally, in the midst of a teardown. This time around, a comeback meant matching a season-best fifth straight win, along with a chance to match their high-water mark of four games over .500.
Maybe it’s because of what comes next.
The 7-6 victory may count the same in the standings as all other wins, but this one undoubtedly means a little bit more. It means the Phillies now return home tonight with an unexpected chance to suddenly snatch first place from the reeling Mets. It means setting the stage for a weekend that should bring the most fan excitement and anticipation through the gates of Citizens Bank Park that anyone around here has seen in a long, long time.
Maybe this latest ninth-inning fight was different because of who authored the blows.
Down to their last strike, J.T. Realmuto picked his team up off the mat by delivering a game-tying double into the right-center gap. Two batters later, Rhys Hoskins provided a stunning knockout blow with a two-run single that capped a remarkable turn of events.
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If the Phillies are to outpace the Mets and now streaking Braves down the stretch, it must be Realmuto, Hoskins, and Bryce Harper who lead the way. For a core that has so often failed to show a killer instinct, one that has struggled to produce truly memorable moments in key situations, a sequence such as this one can do wonders in creating confidence and belief.
Now to acknowledge the obvious.
Not even looking through the reddest of Phillies-red glasses changes the outlook that this team remains deeply flawed. And a pessimist this morning will note the Phillies’ current five-game winning has come against two opponents that are a combined 38 games under .500.
But you know what?
After giving you plenty of reasons not to believe for four months, the Phillies finally gave a reason to believe yesterday — it’s all right if you want to dream on it.