In most of Major League Baseball’s six divisions, hovering around the .500 mark would not make you a contender for the division title. But the Phillies are blessed to play in the National League East, where even the best teams struggle to win many more games than they lose.
Speaking of the best teams in the division, the two top teams in the East will meet in Philadelphia this weekend with only a scant half game separating them in the standings. Whichever team wins more games in this series will emerge with a very tenuous hold on the division lead as we enter the stretch run of the season.