I am not so delusional to believe that today’s 10-0 drubbing of the Toronto Blue Jays means the Phils having gotten all of this crazy losing out of the way.

The Phils have a ton of issues right now.

1. Jimmy Rollins is currently benched for the used up Eric Bruntlett. Answering the question “How do you know when your shortstop is really struggling? When he’s benched for Eric Bruntlett”. If Jimmy doesn’t get it together soon, the Phils will be hard pressed to go much further than a division pennant.
2. Brad Lidge’s return will reshape the 8th and 9th inning again. Ryan Madson will need to regain his 8th inning form . Of course, the Bridge to Lidge means nothing if Lidge can’t close the door. How’s that knee, Brad?
3. Raul Ibanez is still on the shelf, and if he does not come back with the same offensive firepower that paced the Phillies during the first 2 months of the ’09 season, who will pick up that slack?
4. Focus – the Philles have probably made more mental errors over the last 2 weeks than they had during the entire season to date. Which is part of what prompted Charlie Manuel to address the team after their 6-1 loss to the Blue Jays on Friday night.

Some how, some way, the Phillies have looked like a 2009 incarnation of the Bad News Bears, and are still atop the National League standings. I don’t know who should be thanking who more, the Phillies or Mets. Both have benefited during their recent swoons by the other’s ineptitude.

The Mets show no signs of life right now, despite taking 3 of 4 from the National League Central division leading Cardinals.

The time is right for the Phils to go on a streak of a different kind. The completion of interleague play alone should provide a psychological boost to a team that never plays the American league well, except in last October. Plus, the Phillies next 4 opponents (Braves, Mets, Reds and Pirates) offer the Phillies an opportunity to start a new streak and return them to pre-slump levels of 10+ games over .500.

There is no crying baseball, and the Phils can’t lose too much sleep over lost opportunities over the last 2 weeks (that’s for us fans to do).

We’ll know this team is back when we see two specific events: the return of controlled intensity and cleaner play in the field and on the base paths. No team bungles it’s way to a World Series successfully, so the recent departure from smart running and fielding must end if the Phils are going to begin separating themselves permanently from the field in the NL East.

There are 14 more games remaining before the All-Star break. A very doable 10-4 record in that span would leave the Phils at 48-38 during the Midsummer hiatus.

10 games over .500 at the break? After the way this season has unfolded? I’d take it.