The Phillies enter the last week of the regular season today with a very real shot at the playoffs. By all accounts it's been an amazing season in every sense of the word. After a 4-11 start they are suddenly 2 behind the Mets in the east, and tied for the wild card with the slumping Padres. Nothing new for the Phils; they were tied for the wild card with San Diego at the same milepost last year and collapsed with a typical fizzle. This year, however, it seems the Padres are imploding, not the Phillies.

Now the question on every every Philly fans mind, of course, is how will they blow it this year? The past few years have played to the same pattern as this one: have a miserable April and May, stagger through the Summer, then come on strong in late August for a stretch run. This season, however, schedule is on their side with a 6 game home stand in a park well suited to their offensive prowess. And while their pitching struggles, and the bull pen shouldn't be trusted to hold any sort of lead, they keep finding ways to win.

Playoffs or not, this year's Phillies are some of the most exciting in a long time. They are fun to watch, can explode for 10 run innings, and seem to be enjoying every game. Welcome to baseball in September. It'll be a fun week, and I for one anticipate baseball in October!

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