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The Phillies Haven’t Won Since I Declared Them World Champions

Kyle Pagan

By Kyle Pagan

Published:

I tweeted this on Monday:

Hand up. I got caught up in the emotion, but I honestly believed this. They just swept the Rangers and took a series against a solid Tigers team a week before that, highlighted by their pitching and grit in close games. Then they knocked the cover off the ball against the O’s and come from behind on Monday against the Reds so I finally had to declare it. I was all in. And guess what? I was right! And I stand by it. I’m going down with the ship. This pitching staff is still elite even if Zack Wheeler’s shoulder might be hanging on by a thread and you never know what Jesus Luzardo or Ranger Suarez you’re going to get. The platoon was going great. Brandon Marsh, Bryson Stott, and Weston Wilson had the three highest OPS numbers on the team since August 1st. Kyle Schwarber is hitting the ball out of the stratosphere and my heart rate doesn’t increase one blip when Jhoan Duran comes in. But since that tweet, they’ve lost three straight and been outscored 17-3. I’m paying the price:

I was shocked how many people didn’t believe in the Phils under my original tweet. Fans were replying that the Phillies were peaking too early even though the last time they made the World Series they limped into the playoffs. They said they’re just in one of their hot streaks (they were right). The Phillies are the most volatile stock price on the exchange. Their price over the last five years would be filled with peaks and valleys. When you’re up you never think you’re going to be down and when you’re down you never think you’ll be up again. It’s the most toxic relationship I’ve ever been in. If most people had them in their portfolio they’d sell because it’s an emotional roller coaster. That’s just life as a Phillies fan. When things start to go well they take their foot off the gas and it takes them a little bit to get those RPMs going again. They don’t necessarily have the easiest rest of the month to sputter.

Luckily, the one thing Phillies fans can hang their hat on is that the Mets continue to lose in hilarious fashion. They’ve lost 13 of 15 and have blown nine leads in six games. It’s amazing how they find ways to lose. I think the Phils straighten things out. They’re still an elite staff. We’re going to a six-man rotation to give some guys a rest. Hope the platoon guys keep it up and Nick Castellanos starts swinging above the Mendoza line. There’s no other alternative. It doesn’t seem like Justin Crawford is coming up and these are the guys they’ll be going to battle with so you might as well get all aboard. The train might fall off the tracks at any moment, but I’ve already bought my ticket. Get yours now! CHOO! CHOO!

Kyle Pagan
Kyle Pagan

Kyle writes blog posts and does Man on the Street-style videos all around Philadelphia. He graduated from Temple University (a basketball school) in 2015. contact: k.pagan@sportradar.com

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