The reactivation of a Phillies star in the heart of the order will make the club more competitive this month against other postseason hopefuls after a rough patch in this 42-game stretch, and the bats will decide many outcomes going forward.

Do-or-die:

For the Philadelphia Phillies, June will determine their record toward mid-July’s approach; each series will reveal their strengths and weaknesses against strong competition. And, for the most part, each series, each contest and each inning can shift the momentum in either direction.

IN OTHER WORDS: “Victory is won not in miles but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later, win a little more.” – Louis L’Amour

During this quarter of the schedule, the Phils have another seven of 10 games against divisional competition. They went 2-1 versus the Atlanta Braves and have seven contests against the Washington Nationals. So, a 3-4 mark versus Washington will equal 5-5 overall.

Regarding other National League franchises, the red pinstripes are 7-11 because of a recent downward trajectory. However, they have five games remaining, and three victories would improve things to 10-13. A winning streak?

Against the AL East, the hometown nine lost two of three to the Toronto Blue Jays but have three contests with the New York Yankees near month’s end. And this series could be a preview of serious October baseball if the long shot happens. Yes, it’s remote.

Despite a good start of 7-7, the last nine games are causing concern among the faithful. However, winning the division wasn’t the expectation in April: The second wild card was. And these organizations are the competition for that one game and the postseason.

Keep in mind; these other teams also have strengths and weaknesses. If they are strong everywhere and healthy, they wouldn’t acquire players in late July.

If you missed the excitement in Chicago, the cool Adam Morgan referred to was the playoff atmosphere. Unfortunately, either Morgan wasn’t waiting for Jorge Alfaro to set up, or Alfaro was too slow to position his mitt. Either way, Morgan is the only one having this difficulty.