5 biggest reasons for Phillies’ success

PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies woke up Thursday morning in second place in the National League East, just a half-game behind the Nationals with a 24-17 record.

How many folks in the Delaware Valley predicted that?

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Thank fantastic pitching and an improved defense for the surprising start. The only question is if the Phillies can keep it up. They rank 29th in baseball offensively, averaging just 3.32 runs per game. They have been outscored by 28 runs.

Only 14 teams in the past 10 seasons have finished .500 or better despite being outscored. The 2009 Mariners were the most fortunate of the bunch, finishing 85-77 despite a -52 run differential. The Phillies are on pace to be outscored by 112 runs.

So how in the world are the Phillies doing it? How are they winning night after night?

Here are five explanations:

1. It’s the rotation, stupid The starting pitching is the most obvious reason the Phillies are playing well. The rotation ranked among the worst in baseball last season, but it is among the best in the game this year. Phillies starters have a 5.4 WAR, which ranks fourth in MLB. …

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