Their surge after 9-19 start has only 2 comps in baseball history
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The Phillies continue to surge with interim manager Don Mattingly at the helm, but they've also made some history as they chase the Braves for the lead in the NL East.
Since Mattingly took over on April 28 after the dismissal of Rob Thomson amid a 9-19 start, the team has gone 38-18 -- MLB's best record over that stretch -- and has trimmed a once-daunting 10 1/2-game division deficit to just three games entering Monday's contest against the Pirates. And with their record at 47-37 before Monday's game, the Phillies have joined an exclusive club.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Philadelphia is the third team in MLB history to improve from 10 or more games under .500 to 10 or more games over .500 before its 85th game of the season, joining the 1955 Red Sox and 1951 Giants. The Phillies are also the first team to complete that reversal before the end of June, though it’s worth noting that the season now starts more than two weeks earlier than it once did.
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The Phillies have shown no signs of stopping, either. They're 17-8 in June as they continue to ride several hot bats, including Kyle Schwarber, who became the first MLB hitter to reach 30 homers this season with a decisive blast on Sunday against the Mets.