I've spent the past couple of weeks trying to reassure you that things aren't so bad. That this team has been here before and will pull out of it. And that this is just a slump, albeit a slump in which multiple players are simultaneously being atrocious.
As much as I continue to believe that, I'm also just as intensely frustrated as you are about this team right now. The Phillies have been awful for the past three weeks. There's just no sugarcoating it at this point.
How bad have they been? Well, this standings chart of all teams for games played after May 17 (when the Phillies last showed offensive life by beating Pittsburgh 12-2) puts things in perspective.
NL East | W | L | PCT | GB | RS | RA | DIFF |
Atlanta | 15 | 5 | 0.750 | - | 111 | 70 | 41 |
NY Mets | 11 | 7 | 0.611 | 2 | 87 | 73 | 14 |
Florida | 8 | 11 | 0.421 | 6.5 | 80 | 75 | 5 |
Washington | 7 | 12 | 0.368 | 7.5 | 85 | 87 | (2) |
Philadelphia | 6 | 13 | 0.316 | 8.5 | 41 | 74 | (33) |
NL Central | W | L | PCT | GB | RS | RA | DIFF |
St. Louis | 11 | 8 | 0.579 | - | 99 | 76 | 23 |
Cincinnati | 11 | 9 | 0.550 | 0.5 | 112 | 89 | 23 |
Chicago Cubs | 9 | 9 | 0.500 | 1.5 | 62 | 62 | 0 |
Houston | 9 | 11 | 0.450 | 2.5 | 77 | 109 | (32) |
Milwaukee | 8 | 11 | 0.421 | 3 | 76 | 107 | (31) |
Pittsburgh | 7 | 12 | 0.368 | 4 | 54 | 84 | (30) |
NL West | W | L | PCT | GB | RS | RA | DIFF |
LA Dodgers | 13 | 7 | 0.650 | - | 83 | 81 | 2 |
Colorado | 11 | 8 | 0.579 | 1.5 | 85 | 67 | 18 |
San Diego | 11 | 8 | 0.579 | 1.5 | 89 | 77 | 12 |
San Francisco | 10 | 9 | 0.526 | 2.5 | 77 | 83 | (6) |
Arizona | 7 | 12 | 0.368 | 5.5 | 78 | 103 | (25) |
AL East | W | L | PCT | GB | RS | RA | DIFF |
Boston | 15 | 5 | 0.750 | - | 115 | 63 | 52 |
Toronto | 10 | 8 | 0.556 | 4 | 94 | 68 | 26 |
NY Yankees | 10 | 9 | 0.526 | 4.5 | 95 | 84 | 11 |
Tampa Bay | 10 | 9 | 0.526 | 4.5 | 95 | 93 | 2 |
Baltimore | 4 | 14 | 0.222 | 10 | 53 | 104 | (51) |
AL Central | W | L | PCT | GB | RS | RA | DIFF |
Chicago Sox | 9 | 10 | 0.474 | - | 83 | 99 | (16) |
Kansas City | 9 | 10 | 0.474 | - | 94 | 85 | 9 |
Minnesota | 9 | 10 | 0.474 | - | 79 | 76 | 3 |
Detroit | 7 | 11 | 0.389 | 1.5 | 71 | 73 | (2) |
Cleveland | 6 | 14 | 0.300 | 3.5 | 84 | 122 | (38) |
AL West | W | L | PCT | GB | RS | RA | DIFF |
LA Angels | 14 | 6 | 0.700 | - | 120 | 89 | 31 |
Oakland | 11 | 9 | 0.550 | 3 | 81 | 82 | (1) |
Texas | 9 | 9 | 0.500 | 4 | 95 | 91 | 4 |
Seattle | 9 | 10 | 0.474 | 4.5 | 82 | 91 | (9) |
Hey, at least we're not Orioles fans, right?