Is it time for struggling Phillies to press panic button?

The Philadelphia Phillies have hit a bump in the road as July nears its close. But is this merely a slump or a reason to panic for the best team in baseball?

On the surface, it doesn't look great. The Phillies fell 4-3 on Sunday after blowing an early three-run lead against the Cleveland Guardians, leaving Philly with its fourth consecutive series defeat.

Since completing an impressive sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 11, the Phillies are just 4-8, losing two of three to the Oakland A's, Pittsburgh Pirates, Minnesota Twins and now Guardians. Over that stretch, they've struggled with consistency on the mound and at the plate.

The Phillies may not be playing well, but talk of a monumental collapse is a bit premature. For instance, they've had the lead in seven of their last eight losses and, while being outscored 60-51, a big chunk of those runs came in an 18-3 bashing at the hands of the A's.

In short, the Phillies simply aren't finishing. Whether the offense goes quiet after a hot start or the bullpen flounders, recently, nothing has gone right.

All-Star first baseman Bryce Harper didn't sound worried about the team's play, telling reporters on Sunday that "it's just part of the game."

"You know, as the season goes, you're going to have your ups and downs, obviously," Harper said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia . "We've had chances to win games, and we've been in leads and haven't been able to get the job done — just got to turn the page and understand we've got a long season to go."

Despite their recent downtrend, there's no reason for concern. Not yet, anyway.

The Phillies still own MLB's best record at 65-40. Likewise, they've lost little, if any, ground in the National League East, leading by 8.5 games over the second-place Atlanta Braves (56-48).