Half and Half

The Phillies kicked off the second half of their season with last night's 4-1 loss to the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. Florida and New York both cut their deficit in National League East to two games, and Atlanta is just a half-game behind those teams. It would seem that the Phils are determined to make the latter half of the year as agonizing as the front half. Lucky us!

The Fish just keep hanging around, the Mets have used bubble gum and twine to fashion a contender, and, according to ESPN the Magazine's Tim Kurkjian, the Braves won't be rolling over and throwing their paws in the air anytime soon.

As for mid-season assessments, the Black Table's Will Leitch checks in with a concise and perceptive view of the Phils, one which includes the requisite (and necessary) poke at our beloved manager:

The Phillies should be running away with the National League East, just like they should have run away with the division last year. When you look up and down the Phillies' roster, it is inexcusable that they are still battling with the Mets -- the Mets! -- around the .500 mark. It's difficult to find any major weaknesses. Except for that big gaping one in the dugout who has roiled away like Napoleon's exiled corpse for nearly five years now.

Eighty games to go, right?