Optimism is dwindling for Phillies heading into crucial stretch

Once the hottest team in baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies have struggled mightily lately. Following another series loss, concern is quickly turning into full-blown panic, and the upcoming stretch of games may be the last chance for a turnaround.

After dropping three of four to the defending National League champion Arizona Diamondbacks, the Phillies have lost seven of their last eight series.

However, salvation may be here with a six-game homestand against NL East basement dwellers, the Miami Marlins (44-75) and the Washington Nationals (54-65).

Despite the recent slump, Philadelphia is 9-4 against the Marlins and Nationals this season. While that presents a golden opportunity to right the ship, capitalizing is another story.

The Phillies have dropped 17 of their last 25 games and haven't looked good doing it on the mound or at the plate. They've been outscored by opponents 111-144 over that stretch, while the Diamondbacks more than doubled them up in runs (30-14) during their most recent series.

Likewise, stars like Bryce Harper aren't producing enough. Since July 19, the All-Star first baseman is batting just .232 (23-of-99, six home runs, 14 RBI).

Meanwhile, pitching has also been an issue for Philadelphia. Along with a leaky and unreliable bullpen, ace Aaron Nola is 0-4 over his last four starts, recording a 3.97 ERA in 22.2 innings of work.

Things may only worsen if the Phillies' struggles continue against the Marlins and Nationals. After the six-game stint at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia will hit the road for three-game sets against the Atlanta Braves (61-56) and the Kansas City Royals (65-52) before returning home for three games against the Houston Astros (62-55) and four more crucial matchups with the Braves.

The Braves aren't playing much better, having lost three of their last 10 games, remaining 7.5 games behind the pace in the NL East. However, it's hard to find an MLB team that has been laboring more than the Phillies since the All-Star break (7-15), as only the lowly Chicago White Sox (1-20) have a worse record.