By: Matthew Mack

The Philadelphia Phillies came back home to Citizens Bank Park to face the Tampa Bay Rays for a quick two game series. 

The Phillies had every opportunity to make up ground as the Atlanta Braves got swept by the New York Yankees. Instead, they got swept as well. There is no excuse to lose both games. Twice the Rays came back in each game and it was both on devastating home runs that turned the tide. Though both games were tight, the first place Rays took the series.

Yes the Phillies did put up a fight in the second game but to lose both games does raise more concerns. Do they really want to go to the postseason or continue to play front-runners all season? With a month left to go, the Phillies are in serious trouble. Not only are they five games out of first place, they are a .500 team again. Even though they play the Arizona Diamondbacks at home for a four game series, the Braves do face the first place San Francisco Giants this weekend but it doesn’t mean a thing if the Phillies squander games. Bryce Harper made a point when he said that the team is “wasting time”. He is right! This is the worst time to get on a bad skid. 

To be honest, the Phillies are testing my confidence and optimism. The team has a golden opportunity to get in the postseason. Right now, they are blowing it. I can understand why many people are not fully buying in. You can name all the reasons. Inconsistency is the main reason. The frustration for me is that the team is good but the holes in this team are glaring. Unfortunately, the Phillies have to work with them. I hope that the Phillies do get in the postseason. As the season gets closer and closer to the end, it looks more and more like they will find ways to get in their own way.