In The Midst Of Tough Stretch Of Schedule, The Phillies Need To Prove Themselves

The Philadelphia Phillies have arguably been the best team in baseball this season, and now they’re facing their toughest challenge yet. So far they haven’t stepped up to the plate.

Fresh off the All-Star Break, the Phillies began the most challenging stretch of their schedule when they faced the Minnesota Twins.

The Twins came out of the All-Star Break 12 games above .500 trailing the Cleveland Guardians by 4.5 games in the American League Central.

Facing the Phillies, the Twins minimized that gap a little, taking two of the three games. Going into the third game of the series, with each team taking one of the first two games, the Phillies had a chance to win the series and make a statement against one of the top teams in baseball. Instead, the Twins capitalized on the Phillies’ bullpen woes and took the final contest of the series.

After dropping two of three to the Twins, the Phillies returned home to face another AL Central team: the Cleveland Guardians. With the best record in the American League, the Guardians presented an arduous test for the Phillies.

Like against the Twins, though, the Phillies couldn’t pass the test. Similarly, the Phillies dropped two of the three games, losing the series. In the first game against the Guardians the Phillies’ uncharacteristic fielding struggles sunk them, and in the third contest giving up a late-game solo home run was the difference maker.

The Phillies may have struggled so far against their tough competition, but they still have a chance to prove themselves. The tough stretch continues with series against The New York Yankees, the Seattle Mariners, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Against the Yankees, who for a long stretch of the season was the best team in the AL, the Phillies will get a taste of the elite talent outside of the NL. Led by the lethal bats of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, the Yankees are hitting their way past their opponents. Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Cristopher Sanchez will attempt to cool the Yankees hot bats and show that the Phillies rotation is as impressive as it advertises.

Following the series against the Yankees, the Phillies will hit the road, traveling to the West Coast to face the Mariners and Dodgers. Both teams lead their respective divisions and will present difficult challenges.

It’s one thing to face some of the toughest teams in baseball, but it’s another thing to do so back-to-back-to-back. That’s exactly what the Phillies are tasked with, given the incredibly stacked slate of opponents in front of them.

So far, against their AL Central opponents, the Phillies haven’t proven that they are the best team in baseball. Dropping both of those series left a lot to be desired from the Phillies. The good thing about having such tough opponents still in front of them is that it provides additional opportunities to prove their merit.

Facing the Yankees on Monday night, the Phillies will try to do exactly that.

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