Phillies good – The Philadelphia Phillies are trending the right way again after Monday’s win over the Cincinnati Reds, moving to 25-23 and staking their claim in the NL East behind a late-season run that includes 16 wins in their last 20 games, improved pitching, and strong
Philadelphia woke up Monday night with a familiar feeling for Phillies fans: relief that the season might finally be turning.
After Monday’s win over the Cincinnati Reds, the Phillies are now sitting at 25-23 as the 2026 season moves deeper. The record matters. but so does the route it took to get there—Philadelphia began the campaign in disastrous fashion and at one point dropped 10 straight games in April. looking like a team headed toward a lost year.
A steady climb has followed. Over the last stretch. the Phillies have shown a willingness to stay in games. correct course. and work their way back into the NL East standings mix. The punch of the turnaround comes in the numbers that have begun to cluster together—wins. home runs. and pitching that’s been holding firm when it counts.
MLB insider Alden Gonzalez of ESPN put a spotlight on just how much momentum has built. Over the Phillies’ last 20 games, Gonzalez noted they’ve gone 16-4, struck 29 home runs, and posted a 2.88 starters’ ERA. He also pointed out they’ve won 8 of their last 9 and are suddenly 2 games above .500.
Those figures land with extra weight because the Phillies’ early-season collapse wasn’t a minor wobble. It was a brutal stretch in April that saw the team drop 10 straight games. a run that pulled the door shut on any belief that the season would simply figure itself out. Now. the story is different—bats have heated up over the last few weeks. and the pitching staff and bullpen have also played much more consistently. helping Philadelphia begin to turn things around.
In the standings, the Phillies have positioned themselves with real intent. They’re in second place in the NL East. two games above the Washington Nationals. but still seven games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves. The gap to Atlanta remains. yet the direction has changed enough that the conversation around this core isn’t just about survival—it’s about the possibility of finally breaking through.
Philadelphia is hoping 2026 is the year they win a World Series with this group, after coming up short in the playoffs for the last several years.
Next up is the next test in a series that matters for building confidence. The Phillies will continue their series against the Reds on Tuesday evening in Philadelphia, with first pitch set for 6:40 pm ET.
Philadelphia Phillies MLB Cincinnati Reds Alden Gonzalez ESPN NL East Atlanta Braves Washington Nationals 2026 season World Series
Wait so they were trash in April then suddenly good? Baseball is wild.
16-4 in the last 20 games is crazy. But like… did the Reds just fall apart or what? Stats can be misleading.
Alden Gonzalez said pitching is better so that means all the old Phillies problems are gone lol. Also 2.88 starters ERA sounds made up, I feel like it’s always that “holding firm” wording.
I don’t even care about the NL East math, 7 games behind Braves still feels like they’re not close. World Series talk already is too early, and it’s probably just because home runs are hot right now. Next game at 6:40 tho, guess I’ll watch and see if they remember how to pitch.