Were you sitting on the edge of seat like I was this afternoon as I listened to the Phillies-Cubs game. The score was tied at 4 in the bottom of the 13th inning with the Cubs batting. The Phillies had averted disaster an inning before by turning a slick double play. They weren’t so slick this time. The throw from shortstop Freddy Galvis to first baseman Tommy Joseph was wide and allowed the winning run to score as the Cubs pulled out a squeaker, 5-4.

The Phillies (12-15) come home to play Washington (19-9) for a three-game series starting Friday night. The Nationals lead the National League East over Miami by six games. After the Washington series, Seattle comes in for a two-gamer and then the Phillies go back on the road. They start off inWashington, then to Texas to play the Rangers and finish up the road trip with a weekend series in Pittsburgh.

One of the bright spots so far in the season has been the play of outfielderAaron Altherr. He hit well in the series against the Cubs and was outstanding in the field. He is filling in for the injured Howie Kendrick but I’m not sure manager Pete Mackanin is looking forward to sitting him down once Kendrick is back. He wouldn’t be happy to be relegated to the bench but it is Mackanin’s decision to make and only his.

Perhaps they could find another position to play him besides the outfield, specifically, first base. Tommy Joseph is the first baseman now but he’s been struggling at the plate ever since the opening week. First base is a power position but it sure hasn’t been a power position for the Phillies so far. If Joseph knew he was in danger of losing his job he might start hitting better.

The Phillies have to get back on the winning track. After winning six in a row to go two games over .500, they’ve lost six of seven. A sweep of the Nationals would be asking too much of this team but what about taking two of three. That would bring them within two games of .500 with nine road games against the Rangers, Nationals and the Pirates.  The Nationals are tough but not the Rangers or the Pirates. Those two teams are at the bottom of the barrel in their division.

The Phillies weren’t expected to challenge for the World Series this season but there’s no reason why they can’t be in the running for the post-season when Labor Day rolls around. Teams get hot and try to stay hot for as long as possible so when they go through a rough patch they can weather it out. Staying in contention will be difficult because they’re a young baseball team which is trying to recapture some of the glory started 10 years ago when they made the post-season in 2007. They made the playoffs five years in a row and went to two World Series and won it all in 2008. Before 2007, the last time they made the playoffs was 1993 when they lost to Toronto in the  series. Remember, Joe Carter hitting the game winner in the sixth game off of Mitch Williams.

Anything can happen in the professional sports world now. The question is probably whether the Phillies believe that or not. Only time will tell.