The Philadelphia Phillies have some magic this season.
Every time you think there is no way the Philadelphia Phillies can continue pulling off some incredible magic, they continue to surprise you.
On Friday night, with the Phillies down to their last out (stop me if you've heard this before) in the top of the ninth inning, Edmundo Sosa (of all people) hit a grand slam home run to give Philadelphia a 5-3 lead over the Los Angeles Angels, a lead the Phillies would not relinquish.
It marked yet another dramatic comeback win for Philadelphia, a team that has been getting "lucky" all season long and continues to get "lucky" as we move toward October.
Or maybe at this point we should no longer call it luck? Perhaps there really is something here that will push the Phillies on a magical postseason run?
Whatever the case may be, Philadelphia — which was stumbling just a few weeks ago and appeared to be on its way to falling out of playoff contention — is running out of chances to lose, and the way the Phils are winning these games is starting to become admirable.
Yes, in baseball, we are so focused on numbers. Analytics. Moneyball. But we forget that intangibles absolutely are a thing.
You don't think the late '90s New York Yankees, who won four World Series championships between 1996 and 2000, had magic? And do you not remember that it was Miguel Rojas who played the role of hero in the Los Angeles Dodgers' second straight title last fall?
The stats are good, and they generally are a good predictor of the future. They also do not tell the full story.
Just ask the Phillies, who, according to the numbers, have been playing over their heads all season long. Teams aren't supposed to win this many one-run games. It generally isn't viewed favorably when a ballclub's resume is littered with comeback victories.
But here are the Phils, with about a month left to play in the regular season, hurtling toward a playoff spot due much in part to their valor.
The "it" factor is frequently mocked. Analytics gurus scoff at the mere noting that such a thing exists. But sometimes, it becomes hard to deny that it does.
And for as many holes as Philadelphia has, for as many concerns plague the team with the playoffs just around the corner, it might be time to admit that the Phillies possess the very trait that so many deny is an actual thing.
