It was a stretch of games that would make even the best teams look human, a 10-game stretch against three legit playoff contenders — the Padres, Braves and Cardinals — a litmus test for a Phillies team that has struggled to move much beyond the .500 mark at any point in the last three years.
Along the way, the reigning National League MVP, Bryce Harper, broke his thumb, likely keeping him out of action for at least the next six weeks. And yet, somehow, the Phils managed to go 6-4 in that 10-game meat grinder, winning three out of four in San Diego, losing two of three to red-hot Atlanta, and winning two of three against a solid St.