Believe

Sometimes pro sports just doesn't make sense. The Phillies have been plagued by abysmal pitching all year, their starting rotation has been decimated by injuries and Adam Eaton, and their hitting has, at times, been as capricious as a 3-year-old in Toys 'R' Us.

Yet, here they are. Four games to go. One behind the Mets in the division. One behind the Padres for the wild card. As Whitey Asburn used to say, "Hard to believe, Harry."

The Phillies shouldn't be here. They really shouldn't. Yet here they are, with a division crown and a wild-card berth both within a fingernail of their grasp.

This year, the Phillies' slogan is "Goosebumps: What Will They Do For You?" Neither riveting nor concise, though their bullpen has been rather fowl.

A few years ago (I don't remember which season it was, but like most in this decade, it probably ended in grotesque frustration) the Phillies' slogan was "Believe."

I can't think of a better mantra for these final four games.