PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies have faded in the National League East since early August, and one reason why has been an issue all season.
The offense has struggled. Entering Wednesday's game against the Nationals, Philadelphia ranked among the bottom third in the Majors in runs (613), batting average (.238), slugging percentage (.397), Weighted On-base Average (.309) and Weighted Runs Created Plus (92). The Phillies are second in baseball in pitches per plate appearances (4.02) and fourth in walk rate (9.7 percent), which they believe is a recipe for future success. But a quick glance at Philadelphia's hitting corps shows many are not performing as well as last season, most notably Cesar Hernandez, Odubel Herrera and Aaron Altherr.