Five in a Row and Five Games Back

Healthier than they've been all season, the Phillies have put together a post trade-deadline run that sees them banging on the door of Wild Card contention in time for the change to playoff baseball weather. Kyle Kendrick, now firmly in the rotation, has been brilliant, and last night he pitched the Phils to their fifth straight win and ninth in their last 11. They now sit five games back in the Wild Card hunt, just one game below .500. 
Kendrick has won five of his last six starts and allowed just two runs in his only loss over that stretch. In last night's 3-1 win over the Marlins, Kendrick went seven strong, holding a no-hitter until the sixth inning. 
Surrendering only two hits all night, Kendrick struck out a career-best eight batters. He escaped a bases loaded situation in the sixth by striking out Giancarlo Stanton and allowed his lone run in the seventh before turning the game over to the bullpen for the final two frames. Justin De Fratus induced a pair of strikeouts, and Jake Diekman got Jose Reyes to fly out for the third. Antonio Bastardo had the closing duties for the night, and he took home the save facing only three batters, the last of whom was Greg Dobbs, who struck out to end the game. 
At the plate, Domonic Brown put the Phils on the board in the fifth with a shot to right after Ty Wigginton drew a leadoff walk. Two batters later, Michael Martinez doubled aboard, then was moved to third by Kendrick. With two outs and Jimmy Rollins at the plate, Marlins starter Wade LeBlanc uncorked a two-strike wild pitch, and Martinez was across the plate before the Miami battery could clean up the spill. Ozzie Guillen hilarity ensued as the Marlins manager protested for a strikeout he wouldn't get until after the damage was done. 
That was all the offense the Phillies would need with Kendrick on the hill and a suddenly solid bullpen locking things down. CSNPhilly's John Finger points out that KK is 5-2 with a 2.26 ERA in his last nine starts; including his previous seven relief appearances, his ERA is below 2 at 1.98. Yanked in and out of the rotation and started on a moment's notice when needed, Kendrick has done everything asked of him, and now found a groove that is helping to fuel once-lost playoff hopes. [Full recap and a look at how Kendrick has emerged]
Pittsburgh is the team just in front of the Phils on their way up the ladder, and the Bucs have lost four straight. The Dodgers are a game back of the Cardinals, who hold the final Wild Card slot and lost in San Diego last night. The Brewers, also sitting at 70-71, and the Diamondbacks (69-72) are fighting for the spot too. 
Twenty-one games to go. How many can the Phillies win?
(AP Photo)