There are several reasons why the Phillies are on an all-time heater right now, one that has seen them reach into the broom closet a staggering seven times before Memorial Day Weekend.

There’s starting pitching and the stars, of course. Don’t forget the handful of relievers capable of wiping away opponents late in games. And you know what? If you’re a pessimist, go ahead, scratch the itch. Mention the soft schedule.

But for a team to go 15 consecutive series without a loss (11-0-4), which according to the Phillies PR staff stands as the longest single-season run in franchise history, it has to be deep. It must get contributions from all parts of the roster.

That’s certainly happening right now.

Edmundo Sosa provided a key three-run homer Wednesday night before delivering a three-hit game Thursday. One of those hits resulted in a run when Cristian Pache stroked a two-run go-ahead triple in the fourth:



It was Pache’s second hit of the day with runners in scoring position, and it helped spark the Phillies’ 37th win in 51 games out of the gate.

Despite hitting just .225 this season, five of Pache’s nine total hits have come with runners in scoring position.

Realmuto Continues Resurgence

J.T. Realmuto may not be the unanimous best catcher in baseball these days, but he’s doing just fine.

He extended a career-best 13-game hitting streak with an opposite field solo shot that tied the game in the third. Realmuto has now hit safely in 16 of his last 17 games, going 25-for-71 (.352 BA).

Since the start of that stretch, which began on April 28th, he has lifted his batting average from .237 to .285 while jumping his OPS from .685 to .792. In doing so, Realmuto has put himself back into the conversation for a fourth career National League All-Star selection.

But there’s still some work to do on that front.

Among NL catchers, he currently ranks fourth in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, trailing only William Contreras, Elias Diaz, and Will Smith in all three categories.

Eh, Shut Up

Lots of tweets, lots of chatter about the Phillies’ weak schedule. It’s coming from everywhere – area pessimists, prominent national baseball guys and, of course, Braves fans.

Sure, you could simply pay attention and conclude this is a talented team that can beat opponents in a variety of ways.

Alternatively, you could probably just take a quick glance at the 37-14 record and conclude it’s a pretty good mark. You could also note the Phillies’ recent postseason runs and come away knowing this isn’t exactly a smoke and mirrors job.

But, if reality still eludes you, may I offer this:

Dating back to May 27th of last season, the Phillies have played 162 regular season games and have won an MLB-best 103 of them.

If you would like to discredit their remarkable start, you’ll have also have to discredit an entire regular season’s worth of success by what is largely the same roster.

People Forget

The 162-game stretch referenced above began last Memorial Day Weekend with a 2-1 win over the Braves. Zack Wheeler went eight scoreless innings that day, allowing three hits and a walk against 12 strikeouts.

He wasn’t quite as sharp in his seven innings of two-run baseball against the Rangers Thursday, but he was still pretty damn good.

Wheeler cruised through 6 2/3 innings with his only blemish an elevated sinker to Aroldis Garcia that was cranked to left for a solo homer in the second inning. It was smooth sailing from there until the seventh inning when the final out of his day proved to be a challenge. Four straight Texas hitters reached base with two outs. Protecting a 4-2 lead with the bases loaded, Wheeler prevented further damage by working his way out of the jam.

Ranger Suarez has understandably gotten most of the hype, but Wheeler (+300) remains the betting favorite for the NL Cy Young Award. He holds a 2.52 ERA through 11 starts and leads MLB in innings pitched while holding opponents to a .184 batting average.