Seriously, could the Phillies collapse again in September?

About three or four innings into the game between the Reds and Phillies Aug. 23, as the Phillies hadn’t scored, and a young Reds pitcher was working on a no-hitter, a thought occurred:

Are the very expensive Philadelphia Phillies setting themselves up for their most appalling September collapse after so many such failures?

It couldn’t be. Going into play against Cincinnati Aug. 23, the Phils had .001-point lead over San Diego for the second Wild Card slot, and…and…Jean Segura’s already back from injury, and Bryce Harper just homered for the IronPigs in his rehab game and tried to steal a base (without injuring himself again), and….

Phillies fans are asking, why hasn’t this team sewn up a solid playoff slot yet?

OK, the signals for September are mixed as they have been for about five years for the Phillies.

Just last year Philadelphia barely broke their decade-long streak without a winning season. Certainly not all the players on the team were here for anything like that stretch, but they are surely aware.

The team is at least competitive as this is typed, but disappointing in quite a few ways. In nine starts by Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola against the division-leading Mets, to pick a much commented upon stat, the Fightless have been 0-9 this season.

OK, they’re better than competitive – 12 games over .500 if the season were to end as the period at the end of this sentence is typed. However, although far more successful than in recent seasons thus far, the Phils are disappointing by only battling for a second or third Wild Card at this point.

And that’s the situation after expanding the playoffs.

But wait! Edmundo Sosa just broke up this Nick Lodolo’s no-hitter. (Seven out of ten Phillies fans couldn’t have told you Sosa’s first name although Sosa is a very good fielder and, currently, the 24th fastest MLB baserunner.) The Phillies are still losing at the coming period. That one, to the left there.

Anyhow, as usual, there seems to be about a 50-50 chance that the Phillies will miss the playoffs again, but 50-50 is interesting, right?

Nick Castellanos is finally hitting. Did I mention Harper is coming back? Also, whatever their record against the Mets, Philadelphia has three very good starting pitchers for the intensive competition of the playoffs – and two more who are definitely not awful.

Moreover, J.T. Realmuto is finally hitting – and just tied this game against the Reds with a two-run double. Fireworks emoji!

The bottom line here, at the end of August, is that if the Philadelphia Phillies crumble this September, it will be the most disgraceful collapse since the 1964 fiasco. And they will have fewer excuses than that ancient squad.

You can check yourself on the outcome of the Phillies-Reds game Aug. 23. Consider it an omen or not.