5 things Phillies need to do to make postseason

This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki's Phillies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The Phillies swept the Marlins last weekend, then scattered for the All-Star break.

Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson said Friday that he believes they can still carry that momentum into the second half.

"These guys feel it," Thomson said.

Feel what?

"We're coming down the stretch," he said. "We've put ourselves in a pretty good spot, a lot better than we were a couple months ago, that's for sure. I think they feel that, and they're excited about it."

The Phillies opened the second half tied with St. Louis for the third NL Wild Card. Here are five things that need to happen for them to make the postseason for the first time in more than a decade:

1. Castellanos hits again
Nick Castellanos' introductory press conference in March could not have excited Phillies fans any more than it did. He looked and talked every bit like the person who played with swagger with the Tigers and Reds.

"I don't have a college degree," he said. "I hit baseballs."

Castellanos hit .329 with three home runs, 11 RBIs and a .921 OPS in 19 games through April 27. He hit .232 with five homers, 35 RBIs and a .610 OPS in 72 games leading into the All-Star break. Overall, he entered Friday 156th out of 157 qualified players in baseball with -1.0 WAR, according to FanGraphs. Castellanos' struggles have not gone unnoticed, but Kyle Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins covered for him with scintillating Junes that carried into the first few days in July. But as Schwarber and Hoskins have cooled -- Schwarber had a .650 OPS in the 14 games before heading into the All-Star Game, while Hoskins had a .586 OPS in his last 12 -- Castellanos' struggles became more pronounced.

The Phillies need Castellanos to play in the second half like the player they signed to a five-year, $100 million contract. It is too much to ask the pitching staff to put up zeros every night, although they have tried, allowing three or fewer runs in 24 of Thomson's first 41 games as interim manager. (They are 22-2 in those games.) The Phillies need big hits from somebody other than Schwarber and Hoskins, especially while Bryce Harper and Jean Segura are sidelined. Castellanos is the most equipped player to do it.

2. Thomson keeps pressing the right buttons
The Phillies' bullpen has been mostly fantastic since Thomson replaced Joe Girardi. It is 11-5 with a 2.99 ERA since June 3, which is tied for the third-best bullpen ERA in baseball. Thomson has used Seranthony Domínguez (1.85 ERA) and Brad Hand (2.17 ERA) almost flawlessly in the eighth and ninth innings. He has mixed and matched José Alvarado (1.32 ERA since being recalled from Triple-A in June), Corey Knebel (3.03 ERA), Andrew Bellatti (3.52 ERA) and Connor Brogdon (1.93 ERA) very well in high leverage situations, too.

It is comforting for players to know the bullpen can hold leads, and keep deficits close, giving them an opportunity to come back and win. It is how the 2007 Phillies made the postseason -- remember Brett Myers, Tom Gordon and J.C. Romero pitching almost every day and effectively down the stretch? -- and how the 2008 Phillies won the World Series.

3. Dombrowski takes his shot(s)
Ask any Phillies player about the Aug. 2 Trade Deadline and they almost always say the same thing.

"We trust Dave."

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has a reputation for making moves and taking chances. He certainly believes in trying to win. Last summer, there were people in the front office who did not want to trade Spencer Howard to the Rangers for Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy. The team had too many holes, they thought, so why give up a young arm like Howard? The Phillies fell short, but Dombrowski's decision was sound.

If you're not trying to win when you have an opportunity to win, then what in the world are you doing?

Expect Dombrowski to do something before the Deadline. What he does depends on countless factors, but you can bet he recognizes this team is better than last year's team. And if last year's team deserved an upgrade, then this one most certainly does, too.

4. The starters keep leading the way
Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola have been so good atop the rotation. Nola (3.5 WAR) and Wheeler (3.0 WAR) ranked fourth and seventh among pitchers in WAR, respectively, through Friday. But it isn't just those two who have contributed. Kyle Gibson (1.2 WAR), Ranger Suárez (1.1 WAR) and Zach Eflin (1.1) WAR have pitched well, too.

Combined, the Phillies arguably have the best rotation in baseball.

Eflin is injured, of course. The Phillies say they believe he will pitch again this season, but there is no timetable for his return. The front office almost certainly will try to acquire a starter before Aug. 2. Another starter will give them a better chance to win every night, especially until …

5. Harper and Segura come back
Harper never offered a timetable for his return from a broken left thumb, other than guaranteeing he will return at some point. He hopes for good news Monday when he sees a follow-up exam. Segura said Friday that he thinks he could be back the first week of August. (Thomson said that timetable might be aggressive.)

Imagine if the Phillies are hanging around the NL Wild Card race, or even gaining in the standings when they return? Harper and Segura would be two major in-season acquisitions. Harper would slide back into the No. 3 spot. Segura would hit somewhere behind Harper and Castellanos and give the lineup more length.