Phillies Therapy – Details, episodes & analysis

Paul and Matt revisit the offense's rediscovered success in the Royals series, wonder what the heck to do about Taijuan Walker, and ponder if the Phillies can finally take care of business against the Braves.

After a flat start to the homestand, the Phillies have swung back to looking like their old selves this week. Powered by a tide-turning Kyle Schwarber grand slam and an unlikely cycle from unsung hero Weston Wilson, the Phils have rebuilt their division lead to 8 games ahead of Sunday's series finale with Washington. A tough road test lies ahead, so just how back do we think the Phils really are? Paul and Matt break it down.

The quest for 100 wins and beyond had a minor setback this week in the Phils' first games back stateside since London, but they're really no worse for wear. Plus, the cavalry is coming in the form of Brandon Marsh (already returned) and Trea Turner (to be activated Monday). With a hot homestand on deck, the Phillies will look to right the ship and get back to their winning (more often) ways.

Is the burden from the last 10 years, and the previous 4 in particular, too much to overcome right now? Is the thought of another Phillies (redacted) that overpowering? Paul and Matt, on the heels of another poor showing in Atlanta, work through why the fan base's feeling of this team, still very much in playoff position, feels like it's hanging by a thread. Plus: The "uniqueness" of this playoff push in Phillies history, the need for every little advantage, and one Phillies player who may be on an early Hall of Fame track.

The pendulum has swung back yet again, and the Phillies have wrapped up a 5-1 homestand. It's time to pay a little attention to the magic numbers to clinch (and how to calculate them) for the first time in a long time. Plus, Paul and Matt draft a playoff pitching staff and give props to the new offensive powerhouses in the lineup's 9-spot.

Scrub it from your brains. That Arizona/San Francisco road trip didn't happen. It's all about looking forward and ahead to be a big homestand, where the Phillies could re-pad their lead by taking games from the Marlins and Nationals. That should be the expectation, but will this truly be a new reality for the Phillies? Paul and Matt dig into the demons.

It's been a long time since the Phillies were an actual, literal playoff team. But they're in a great position at the end of August, so is it time to get more optimistic? How do we even go about doing that? Plus, yearning for a team at full health come October, and forgetting about the Mountain Time Zone.

So, that Mets series wasn't great...but it's also far from the end of the world. Paul and Matt try to explain why this past weekend's series doesn't mean the Phils are a total postseason pretender, and kick off the process of relearning what it's like to really root (no cheering in the press box) for a team that's in the playoffs.

The Good Phight's Ethan Witte joins Paul to look back at the week that was against the Mets and Reds, look ahead to their respective rematches, and wishcast an April 2023 that involves some fun starting pitching possibilities.

Paul and Matt, still feeling good for the moment, talk about the "Good Team + Bad Opponents" mix of the recent schedule and how that will change this week, the J.T. Realmuto revival, and the curious case of Bryson Stott.