The Philadelphia Phillies look like they're running out of gas.
Last month, the Philadelphia Phillies looked like they had some magic. They were winning games in a variety of ways, and you could never count them out.
Their starting rotation was rolling. Their offense had suddenly broken out. Their bullpen was brilliant.
But fast forward to the end of the regular season, and the Phillies now look like they are completely out of gas.
With just two games remaining, Philadelphia is clinging to a one-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks for the NL's final Wild Card spot, and the Diamondbacks — who have won six straight — own the tiebreaker.
Now, Arizona is the team pulling rabbits out of hats while the Phillies are looking a whole lot like they did earlier in the season under Rob Thomson.
Philadelphia has gone just 8-13 over its last 21 games as its lead in the Wild Card race has nearly evaporated, and what once seemed like a guaranteed playoff spot is now teetering on the brink of disaster.
At this point, the Phillies might only be saved by the calendar.
The Diamondbacks are still facing a significant challenge here. They will have to either sweep the San Diego Padres on the road and hope that Philadelphia loses one of its next two games to the Tampa Bay Rays, or they can take two out of three from the Padres and bank on the Phillies getting swept.
I guess either scenario is possible, but is either probable? Not really.
For as terrible as it has been playing, Philadelphia still controls its own destiny. Win its last two games against the Rays, and it punches its playoff ticket. Do anything else, and things could get interesting.
But it's becoming more and more clear that the Phillies are almost out of bullets.
If this were mid-September rather than the very end of the month, it would be difficult to envision Philadelphia recovering. Not with the offense and the bullpen in the shape that they're in, and not with Luis Arraez now out with a sprained ankle.
Thankfully for the Phillies, the regular season is just about over.
And just think: had Philadelphia taken care of business against the lowly Washington Nationals and New York Mets last week rather than having gone 3-3 in those six contests, it would be perfectly fine right now.
It just goes to show the state of this Phillies squad.
All things considered, Philadelphia is still in the driver's seat, if only because the schedule says so.
