Dark Day for Phils, Bright Months Ahead

They say the Phils are a second-half team. From Jenkins to Hamels to Lidge, it seems every player has emphasized that the best baseball for this club is still to come.

Easy enough to say.

Last year it took the Phillies 162 games to lock down the NL East and this year they did it in just about 50 games, and, what's more, they kept it for another fifty. But now it is gone, at least for the time being. So for a largely unchanged team from last year, why are we to believe that this wasn't their "run"? That their best baseball isn't behind them?

To be honest, I'm not sure why to believe that, but I will. There are a few things I am damn sure of, and they are as follows:

Brett Myers will not pitch in the World Series this year - I hope I am wrong on this one, but I don't see a Philadelphia ballclub that is grabbing at Myers for support standing for very long. Whether the solution is Happ or Carrasco or another AL arm I'm not sure, but something has got to give.

Matt Holliday will not bat between Utley and Howard - Though the rumors were circulating and I had every intention of believing them, it now seems that the Fuentes/Holliday/Victorino mega-deal was mere media speculation and never had much water to it. So if we are to get excited as the trade-deadline approaches, it should be for Xavier Nady or another lefty in the bullpen, both of which are reasonable hopes.

The NL Wildcard will come from the Mississippi or east - If it isn't St. Louis, it will be our Fightin's or the Mets, hands down.

The NL West is trash at the moment but might again save all of it's energy for a last minute run at the prize. Though, come on? No one over 500? Unlikely.

In a time of silver trophies and men-left-on-base, it's hard to know where you'll end up in October, but, to put today's loss in perspective, let's look at the Phillies situation this time last year, July 24 2007, only 2 month's before taking the Division Title: 51-48 (.515) 5 games behind Mets.

So to be at 54-48 (.529) and only 1 game behind the Mets again, it seems we've got them just where we want them.

At least all of those Mets fans are out of town.