The Phillies are playing good baseball in the middle of August.
Then last night happened. Cristopher Sánchez threw six scoreless innings in St. Louis, the offense scored zero runs, the bullpen coughed up two late, and we lost 2-0. Six scoreless from your starter and you lose. That's not a box score, that's a personal attack.
So the series is even at one, and the rubber match is a day game at Busch this afternoon — 2:15 first pitch, which means half the city is about to develop a mysterious Wednesday illness around 1:45.
This team has real momentum and I am handling it the only way a Philly fan knows how: enjoying every second of it while waiting for the exact moment it falls apart. Last night was a free preview.
Luis Arraez Is a Cheat Code
Be honest — when we got Arraez at the deadline, you nodded politely and said "solid move" like you were reviewing a spreadsheet.
Now the man is spraying hits all over the National League like he's mad we doubted him. He's been scorching since he put on the uniform. Contact hitters in August who turn into contact hitters in October? That's the whole recipe. That's how you win the weird games. The 2-1 games. The games where Citizens Bank Park sounds like a jet engine over one single up the middle.
I'm not saying anything else. I don't want to touch it. Everyone just act normal.
Meanwhile, the Baseball Gods Wanted Balance
Because this is Philadelphia and joy must always be invoiced, we also spent this week watching starters walk off the mound early and holding our breath about Aaron Nola's knee.
The official word is the Phillies are "hopeful" he avoided anything serious.
Hopeful.
I have lived in this city long enough to know exactly what my body does when a team official says "hopeful." Every Phillies fan aged five years reading that sentence. Light a candle, knock on wood, do whatever your grandmother taught you.
Oh, and Caleb Kilian — a reliever we acquired at the deadline — hit the injured list about a week after showing up. One week. That's not a bullpen move, that's a metaphor.
And then the bullpen went out last night and handed St. Louis both runs in the seventh and eighth. Bullpen trust issues aren't a phase here. They're an inheritance.
Over in South Philly, Football Is Getting Real
First preseason game is Saturday against the Ravens. Actual Eagles football, days away.
Camp notes from this week, ranked by how they made me feel:
Jalen Hurts looks faster. Not my words — Vic Fangio and Jalen Carter both said it. Leaner, quicker, moving different. When the head coach AND the scariest man on the roster agree, I'm allowed to be excited. A motivated, faster Hurts in August is the kind of thing that ruins other fanbases' winters.
Dontayvion Wicks is making the WR2 thing real. With DeVonta nursing a hamstring, Wicks has basically become Hurts' favorite target at camp. A few weeks ago I said I'd watch his reps through my fingers like a horror movie. He heard that, apparently, and took it personally. Keep cooking.
Quinyon Mitchell pulled up in one-on-ones. He sat out team drills after that rep against Hollywood Brown and I need everyone to remain very calm, starting with me. It's August. Wrap him in bubble wrap. Mac McWilliams got first-team run in the meantime, which is exactly what depth is for.
Elijah Moore is making a roster push. Every summer there's one guy who forces his way onto the team, and the receiver room fight is officially interesting.
Also DeSean Jackson and Michael Vick stopped by practice this week, and if seeing DeSean at the NovaCare Complex doesn't make you want to run through a wall, you didn't live through 2010.
The Vibe Check
Phillies still dangerous (last night notwithstanding). Hurts fast. Football Saturday.
We are dangerously close to feeling good about everything at the same time, which historically lasts about 48 hours in this city.
Doesn't matter. Day game today. Beers at 2:15. You know what to do.
It's the best two weeks of the calendar — playoff-race baseball and football coming back at the same time. Dress accordingly: the baseball collection is built for October delusion and the football gear is ready for Saturday. New drops keep landing.
Go Phils. Go Birds. Act normal.
