Philadelphia Phillies return to postseason contention after posting 21-7 August record

The Philadelphia Phillies finished August with a 21-7 record, moving the team back into the National League postseason race. After a difficult July and a slow start to the 2026 season that led to the firing of manager Rob Thomson, the club improved its standing in the NL East and narrowed the gap behind the Atlanta Braves. The Phillies remain within 4.0 games of the division lead and are currently tied with the Chicago Cubs for the top Wild Card seed. This late-summer surge occurred despite inconsistent performance from pitcher Zack Wheeler. The team benefited from improved output from Aaron Nola, Andrew Painter, Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, and Bryce Harper, alongside contributions from new roster additions Luis Arraez, Brooks Raley, and Alex McFarlane. The franchise enters September with one month remaining in the regular season.

• 5:49 PMYahoo Sports — Phillies 21-7 August gets lofty praise from ESPN fans will love to hear