The Phillies lineup has been in a five-week slump, their starting pitching is starting to show some cracks as they work with such little room for error, and Jake Arrieta is furious. Nothing to see here.
It sounds like the Phillies are in great shape to begin their toughest stretch of the season, a four-week test that should decipher if their strong start was just a mirage. The Phils open a three-game series on Tuesday against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. They will not face a team with a losing record until July 3 and they will play 19 of their next 25 games against teams that would be in the playoffs if the season ended Monday.