159 games into the season, the Phillies are in pretty good shape. Despite the insistence by some fans that they were constantly on the verge of collapse, they’ve clinched the National League East as well as a first-round bye. All that’s left to be determined is if they can finish with the best overall record in baseball and secure homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.
They’ll need some help from the (gulp) Colorado Rockies in order to accomplish that, but the Phillies can take care of business on their end by beating a Washington Nationals team that looks like they can’t wait for the season to end.