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Can the Phillies Compete With the Nationals and the Braves in the N.L. East?
Ever since the beginning of the Ryan Howard era in Philadelphia, the Phillies have been one of the best teams in the National League and a perennial World Series title contender. Every single season, the Phillies bring in the right talent on the mound and in the batting lineup. This season was thought to be no different despite the loss of a few key players, but it has been the increased competition within the N.L. East division that has really made interesting in Philly.
After a slow start to the MLB regular season, the Phillies in come-from-behind mode as they have dug a hole from themselves that they might not be able to dig out of due to the increased competition in the division. With the Washington Nationals coming from nowhere to lead the way in the N.L. East with a 15-9 record and the Atlanta Braves (15-11) living up the hype after a few seasons of rebuilding, the Phillies are in unfamiliar territory as they are no longer the team to beat in the division.
As of right now, it appears that the Nationals are on the verge of taking control of this division. Obviously, the season has just begun and there is a lot of baseball left to be played before we can get any indication on what team will come out on top in the N.L. East, but the Nationals seem to be the team on the rise with the Braves not far behind.
Never count out the Phillies as they are always a force to be reckoned with in the National League, but this season might be a sign of things to come with Philly taking a backseat to some up-and-coming franchises.
Phillies’ Joe Blanton Pulls Off Shutout of the Braves
Phillies’ Joe Blanton Pulls Off Shutout of the Braves
As they are every single season, the Philadelphia Phillies are World Series title contenders once again this season. The team might not be the same as they have been in years past, but it would be hard to argue that they aren’t one of the more talented teams in baseball and will be serious threat to go the distance in the National League.
Despite the less than impressive record (12-13) coming into this showdown with the division rival Atlanta Braves, the Phillies really put on a show on Wednesday night with pitcher Joe Blanton dominating Braves’ batters. Shane Victorino’s two-run bomb played a huge part in the Phillies’ success on Wednesday in Atlanta, but it was Blanton that stole the show with a 4-0 shutout of one of the most talented lineups in baseball.
Veteran Chippers Jones may have left a bad taste in the Phillies’ mouths with a walk-off homerun just one night earlier, but that was all but forgotten after Blanton’s impressive performance on the mound. With six strikeouts and no walks, Blanton was as hard hit as any pitcher in the MLB on Wednesday. The Braves just had no answer for the starter as he led Philly to an impressive and much needed victory over the division rivals.
With this win, the Phillies finally get back to .500 with a 13-13 record. Now that the Washington Nationals (15-9, 1st place) and the Atlanta Braves (15-11, 2nd place) are serious forces to be reckoned with in the N.L. East, the Phillies will have their work cut out for them moving forward and every win will be crucial in terms of competing within the division. Be sure to check out our Phillies Tickets for all the great divisional action this season.
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