When the calendar flipped to September, it was expected that the Phillies would spend the month playing out the string and not be a part of the postseason hunt. But a six-game winning streak has the Phils back in the discussion as they try to chase down the second Wild Card spot, which is currently occupied by the struggling Cardinals. St. Louis has lost 10 of 14 games, allowing teams like the Phillies and Brewers to make some September noise in the standings. The Phils win on Tuesday night brought them to .500 for the first time since June 4.
Philadelphia's win over the Marlins and the Cardinals loss to the Padres on Tuesday night put the Phils just four games back. Standings after the jump:
| N.L. Wild Card | W | L | |
|
Braves |
81 | 62 | - |
| Cardinals | 75 | 67 | - |
| Dodgers | 74 | 68 | 1 |
| Pirates | 72 | 69 | 2½ |
| Brewers | 71 | 71 | 4 |
| Phillies | 71 | 71 | 4 |
The Phillies will try to make it seven in a row on Wednesday afternoon in their series finale against the Marlins. Cliff Lee will take the hill and he'll be opposed by big righty Josh Johnson. The Cardinals, meanwhile, will try to avoid the sweep in San Diego with ace Kyle Lohse on the hill.
The Brewers have also caught fire in the month of September, winning their eighth straight game at Miller Park on Tuesday and pulling even to .500 for the first time since April 25. Both the Dodgers and Pirates, who are ahead in the Wild Card standings, have struggled recently and are in danger of being passed by the red-hot Phils and Brew Crew. The Bucs have lost nine of their past 11 games, while the Dodgers are just 6-10 since their blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox.
After the Phillies wrap up their series against the Fish, they'll travel to Houston for a four-game set against the worst team in the Majors.
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