This is a big week for the Philadelphia Phillies. After winning a series against the San Diego Padres, the Phillies face a stretch against teams that they should be able to beat. They have two games against both the Houston Astros and the Chicago Cubs before they host the Boston Red Sox in the first interleague series of the year. If the Phillies are going to get back to .500, this is the kind of stretch that gives them a chance to be successful.
Here are a few reasons why the team needs to send a message by winning the majority of games this coming week:
They can sustain some confidence
Winning two out of three games against the Padres is nothing special, but it is something for this baseball team. The Phillies need to find any reason they can to be confident. Winning this series was at least the start of something good. If the Phillies can keep things going against these three teams, it might be enough to turn the season around for good.
They have to beat bad teams
The Astros and Cubs are among the worst teams in baseball. There is no excuse for the Phillies to not handle them. Of course, that is easier said than done. Houston has given the Phillies fits in the past, and the Cubs played a tough series in Philadelphia earlier in the season. As for the Red Sox, it is anyone's guess. They have looked awful so far this year, but the team is still loaded with talent. I'm not ready to say that they are a bad team right now. Even with that in mind, the Phillies need to take care of business against teams that rank below them.
It will set a tone
By succeeding in this stretch, the Phillies will set a positive tone that they need. After the Boston series, the Phillies face a critical stretch. They host the Washington Nationals before starting a road trip with the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. There won't be anything easy about those games. If the Phillies can't find success in the next three series, that is the kind of stretch that could derail their season.
* - Mark Paul is a Philadelphia resident and lifelong Phillies fan.
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