Last year, the Phillies quickly fell out of the playoff chase, dropping from first place in the middle of August to third by the end of September. This season, it has been a far slower fall, with their last day in first place coming on June 11. Their playoff odds have been dropping since the end of May and have now hit a new low.
The Red Sox dealt a one-two punch to the team over the weekend, handing Philadelphia two losses in less than 24 hours. This brought their record to 76-72, putting them 4.5 games back of the Cubs for the second wild-card spot.