That Balls Outta Here
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The last time the Philadelphia Phillies did this, they went to the postseason

By Gabrielle Starr

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 8: A view of Phillies pennants waving in the breeze during a game between the San Diego Padres and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 8, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Padres won 2-1. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 8: A view of Phillies pennants waving in the breeze during a game between the San Diego Padres and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 8, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Padres won 2-1. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
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The Philadelphia Phillies just completed their first nine-game win streak since their last playoff season in 2011

The Philadelphia Phillies‘ improbable win streak ended Sunday at nine games, and in typical Phillies fashion, they were yanked back down to earth in a 13-1 shelling by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

But before we put that loss in the rearview mirror and move on to what will hopefully be another long win streak, there’s something you need to know.

It had been quite a long time since the Phillies last won nine straight. Over a decade, in fact.

2011, to be specific. 

That’s right, the last time the Phillies had a nine-game win streak, they were a postseason team. They’ve neither matched the streak nor have they reached the postseason since. Until 2021, they hadn’t finished a season with a record above .500 since 2011; they managed that by exactly one game last year.

You can chalk this up to a coincidence, but it should serve as an indicator that this team is finally playing some good, consistent baseball.

The streak wasn’t a fluke, either. They swept Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angeles in interim manager Rob Thomson‘s first series at the helm, followed that up by sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers, and then took two of three from the Diamondbacks. The Brewers and Diamondbacks are fourth (1/2 game) and sixth (5 1/2 games) back in the National League Wild Card standings, respectively; the Phillies are fifth (3 1/2).

Will the Phillies finally end the second-longest postseason drought in MLB in 2022?

Currently, the Phillies own the longest postseason drought in the NL, and among all 30 teams, are only outdone by the Seattle Mariners. On an individual scale, Jean Segura and J.T. Realmuto are the leaders among active players in games played without appearing in the postseason.

Unfortunately for the Fightins’, it’s a steep uphill battle to quench that drought. Despite their win streak, they remain third in the hotly-contested NL East, looking up at the first-place New York Mets – the only NL team with 40 wins – and the second-place Atlanta Braves, who have won their last ten games. Even the fourth-place Miami Marlins aren’t far behind, to say nothing of the challenging teams outside the East.

Ultimately, it’s not just about the Phillies needing to keep winning; everyone else to start losing.

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