How much luckier can the Philadelphia Phillies get?
The Philadelphia Phillies collected yet another one-run victory on Monday night, defeating the Miami Marlins by a score of 6-5.
They now own a 22-11 record in one-run games this season, the best in the big leagues. And this one was particularly odd.
Up 4-1 in the top of the eighth inning, Marlins infielder Javier Sanoja knocked a two-out base hit down the right-field with the bases loaded. It should have tied the game.
But, it was initially ruled a foul ball. The umpires then changed the call, but ruled that only two runs would have scored ... even though it was blatantly obvious that the speedy Otto Lopez would have scored from first base.
The result? A 4-3 game instead of 4-4, and the Phillies ended up holding on, 6-5.
Such has been the case for Philadelphia all season long, and while you do have to wonder if its luck will run out at some point, the Phillies are running out of chances for that.
There is less than a month-and-a-half left in the regular season, and Philadelphia is starting to cement itself as one of the three Wild Card teams in the National League.
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper. Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images.Every time it looks like the Phillies are about to show their true colors and fall out of it, they manage to pull off some magic and go on a heater.
Philadelphia has now won four in a row, and the standings don't care about how the games are won. And again, at this point, it might just be that the Phillies find ways to win.
Nothing is guaranteed the rest of the way. Philadelphia is a very flawed ballclub, and while Dave Dombrowski tried to patch up the holes at the MLB trade deadline, there was really only so much he could do.
But you do have to respect how resilient this ballclub has been throughout the season, going through a managerial change after a 9-19 start and then rebounding recently after a brutal stretch following the All-Star break.
The Phillies have also shifted their entire defense due tot the Luis Arraez addition, including placing Bryce Harper back in the outfield for the first time since a brief stint in 2022.
Regardless, Philadelphia has found a way to not only stay in the race, but create some separation from teams like the Marlins, who are themselves a solid ballclub.
We'll see if the Phillies' magic can continue through October.
