Philadelphia Phillies: June's games vs. playoff teams

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Nola dials up a four-seam fastball to set up a Dodger for his secondary pitches. Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. /

The reactivation of a Phillies star in the heart of the order will make the club more competitive this month against other postseason hopefuls after a rough patch in this 42-game stretch, and the bats will decide many outcomes going forward.

Do-or-die:

For the Philadelphia Phillies, June will determine their record toward mid-July’s approach; each series will reveal their strengths and weaknesses against strong competition. And, for the most part, each series, each contest and each inning can shift the momentum in either direction.

IN OTHER WORDS: “Victory is won not in miles but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later, win a little more.” – Louis L’Amour

During this quarter of the schedule, the Phils have another seven of 10 games against divisional competition. They went 2-1 versus the Atlanta Braves and have seven contests against the Washington Nationals. So, a 3-4 mark versus Washington will equal 5-5 overall.

Regarding other National League franchises, the red pinstripes are 7-11 because of a recent downward trajectory. However, they have five games remaining, and three victories would improve things to 10-13. A winning streak?

Against the AL East, the hometown nine lost two of three to the Toronto Blue Jays but have three contests with the New York Yankees near month’s end. And this series could be a preview of serious October baseball if the long shot happens. Yes, it’s remote.

Despite a good start of 7-7, the last nine games are causing concern among the faithful. However, winning the division wasn’t the expectation in April: The second wild card was. And these organizations are the competition for that one game and the postseason.

Keep in mind; these other teams also have strengths and weaknesses. If they are strong everywhere and healthy, they wouldn’t acquire players in late July.

If you missed the excitement in Chicago, the cool Adam Morgan referred to was the playoff atmosphere. Unfortunately, either Morgan wasn’t waiting for Jorge Alfaro to set up, or Alfaro was too slow to position his mitt. Either way, Morgan is the only one having this difficulty.

Despite the naysayers, Santana hit .281 with seven bombs in May. Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images. /

Test-drive:

Beginning on the road, the Phillies opened with a four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. And, yes, the 2018 redbirds are also in the hunt for a wild card; so, the split in St. Louis was an encouraging sign. The result: 2-2. Moreover, the clubs will square off at the Bank for three contests starting on June 17.

Despite their early-season woes against Atlanta, the Phils managed to win a series from their division rival. So far, the Braves have survived trying parts of their schedule, but their 22 games before and after the All-Star break will be a determining factor regarding their chances for a wild-card berth. Result: 2-1.

Currently, the Blue Jays are fifth in home runs and sixth in runs scored in the American League. And when they came to Philly, Toronto won by one and two runs respectively but lost a one-run contest also. The red pinstripes kept up with them by plating 10 runs to 12. Result: 1-2.

Beginning the next road trip against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Phillies faced an organization expected to top the NL West. But Los Angeles has had their share of injuries, disappointments, and struggles. In other words, they are a wild-card contender so far. Result: 2-2.

Unfortunately, the San Francisco Giants swept the Phils after the Giants had lost four consecutive games against the locals. On the other hand, the red pinstripes won four of the seven contests against another franchise in the wild-card hunt. Result: 0-3.

TURN THE PAGE: “So it’s like starting over again, but I look forward to the challenge.” – Lee Majors

Expect Arrieta to have a better outing in Milwaukee. Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images. /

Homestretch:

At the final stop before returning home, the Phillies faced the Chicago Cubs who are battling with the Milwaukee Brewers to be atop the NL Central. Chicago is third in runs scored in the Senior Circuit, but the red pinstripes outscored the Cubs by 14 to 12. Result: 1-2.

ONLY YOU: “Laughter is the shock absorber that eases the blows of life.” – Yogi Berra

The Brewers plated 24 runs triumphantly to begin Philadelphia’s homestand. However, Zach Eflin only had difficulty in the fifth inning of the finale for a 4-3 victory with all four Philly runs manufactured. Result: 1-2. Additionally, the Phils will start Jake Arrieta, Eflin and Aaron Nola for the series in Milwaukee.

Between the two Milwaukee affairs, the Colorado Rockies are visiting the Bank for three contests. They are another organization in the wild-card mix with a 32-34 record and are seventh league-wise in away runs scored. On the other hand, they are currently on a five-game losing streak and 2-9 recently. Result: 1-0.

Following the series against the Brewers and Cards, the Phils will bookend the three games versus the New York Yankees with seven contests against the Nationals (the first three away). Washington is battling Atlanta for first place in the NL East despite their less-than-good health.

Before the four games ending on July 1 at home versus the Nats, the Yankees will be here for three contests. They are 24 games over .500 and 20-10 on the road. In other words, the last 10 contests will probably determine management’s plans for the trade deadline. Forecast: Cloudy.

Hoskins is the key to the Phillies’ chances against contenders. Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images. /

Assets and liabilities:

While the faithful decide a player’s value based on his recent performances, general manager Matt Klentak understands the peaks and valleys. In other words, if Kapler sits every hitter and pitcher fans hate, the others would not be able to handle the workload. A quick answer is usually wrong.

WORTH REPEATING: “For we must be one thing or the other, an asset or a liability, the sinew in your wing to help you soar, or the chain to bind you to earth.” – Countee Cullen

More from Call to the Pen

Firstly, the rotation is better than many anticipated even after Arrieta joined the team. Granted, the starters not named Nola or Arrieta will have more clunkers than the aces, but the improvement is evident. And 11 weeks into the campaign is enough to realize this strength is critical for remaining viable. No disappointment here.

With Seranthony Dominguez to record the tough outs in the seventh and eighth frames, the ninth inning based on matchups is mostly a committee of Luis Garcia, Edubray Ramos, and Hector Neris. Hopefully, one of the bullpen arms will frequently handle the final outs unless Dominguez works the final two frames.

The offense will determine how far the Phillies will go in ’18. Yes, the pieces are there with leadoff man Cesar Hernandez, Odubel Herrera, and sluggers Carlos Santana, Maikel Franco and Rhys Hoskins. Prediction: Hoskins will begin a hot streak due to his layoff. But when will the others come alive? Hitting season!

Next: Phillies' critical inning

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