The unofficial first half of the season is now in the books and the Phillies find themselves in a familiar position: looking up at the Braves while in the thick of a wild card race. It was an inconsistent, at best, first half for the team, so one might even say they are fortunate to be where they are at at the moment. After all, the teams they are currently behind - Miami, Arizona, San Francisco - are all teams no really expected to be where they are while teams behind them - New York, San Diego - have made things a little easier by falling flat on their face.
Phillies midseason grades and awards
