Phillies set an unbelievable franchise record with win over World Series champs

The Philadelphia Phillies' season keeps getting better and better — as if that's somehow possible with how things have gone for the Fightins so far in 2024. There seems to be a new record being tied or broken every day. Wednesday was no different, except this record seems unbelievable.

With slow starts being the recent trend in Philadelphia, it's hard to imagine we're here after the slow first two weeks of the season. That feels like a lifetime ago for this Phillies team. After fighting to get above .500 with an 8-8 start, the Phillies started winning, a lot. They haven't looked back.

Phillies set an unbelievable franchise record with win over World Series champs

After Tuesday's win, the Phillies became just the fifth team since 2000 to win 35 of their first 49 games.

They topped that on Wednesday night. This current Phillies squad set a new franchise record with an 11-4 win over the Texas Rangers. Now with a 36-14 record, the Phillies not only hold the best record in baseball but the best record in the first 50 games of a season by any Phillies team, ever.

Keep in mind the franchise has been around since 1883. That's over 140 years of baseball.

It's just part of the history the Phillies are writing.

The 36th win sets the best single-season 44-game run in franchise history, having now won 34 of 44 since starting the season 2-4, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Scott Lauber.

While opposing fans and naysayers continue to disregard the Phillies' success and cry foul about the soft schedule, the Phillies' latest accomplishment came against the reigning World Series champions. Going through a typical "World Series hangover," the Rangers have had a sluggish start and came into Philadelphia a .500 team on Tuesday at 24-24.

Phillies take advantage of a sloppy Rangers team to set franchise record

They're still the Rangers. Sure, Texas dipped under .500 after the Phillies handed them a 5-2 loss in the first game of the series. While technically a sub-.500 team, the Rangers are no slouch — this isn't the Rockies or White Sox or Marlins we're talking about. Although they played more like those teams on Wednesday — committing four errors on the night.

Taijuan Walker only lasted 4 2/3, giving up three runs on six hits. Luckily, after going down 2-0 early, the Phillies bats came alive. J.T. Realmuto went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Edmundo Sosa kept producing with a fourth-inning three-run home run. Alec Bohm did Alec Bohm things knocking in a pair of runs. Bryce Harper hit another home run.

In 142 years, no other Phillies team has done what Harper and company have accomplished this season. The previous franchise-best marks were 35-15 records by the 1993 and 1976 teams. The 1993 Phillies finished with a 97-65 record and made a World Series appearance. The 1976 team finished 101-61 but got swept in the NLCS by the Big Red Machine from Cincinnati.

This current group has another World Series appearance in mind. They're doing what they need to do early on: Stacking wins to help see them through the inevitable swoon that will come with the long grind of the baseball season.

Or maybe the swoon won't come? This team is special.