On Sunday, August 5, the Phillies had the second-best record in the National League, 63-48, were 1 1⁄2 games up on the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, and Gabe Kapler was a leading contender for NL Manager of the Year.
Seven weeks later, the Phillies are now a .500 baseball team, 78-78, the result of a monumental collapse that has seen them go 15-30 over that stretch, the worst record in the National League over the last 45 games. With three more games against a very good Rockies team and three more against the Braves, it’s more likely than not the team will finish the season under .