For a few hours, Phils were in first place

For a few hours yesterday, something happened in Philly that has not happened since 2011.

No, the Sixers did not win again. You should be satisfied with getting the No. 1 pick in the draft.

But those guys in pinstripes across the street? They look more and more like they are for real.

With yesterday's 4-2 win over the Marlins, the Phils actually climbed a few percentage points ahead of the Mets to take first place in National League East. It was the first time since 2011 that the Phils have sat atop the division.

No, it didn't last long. The Nats beat the Mets last night to inch back into first. They now have a winning percentage of .590 at 23-16. The Phils are right on their tails at .585, sporting the most unlikely record in sports at 24-17. As it is the Phillies are in second place, ahead of the Mets.

No one saw this coming.

Most people had the Phils pegged as being one of the worst teams in baseball.

Not exactly.

They continue to ride good pitching and timely hitting to efficient wins.

This is not Murderers Row. They don't scare anyone at the plate. Their best hitter, Maikel Franco, has yet to really warm up. But as long as they get the kind of dynamic starting pitching and off-the-charts bullpen work they've been getting, they aren't going to go away.

Yesterday it was Jeremy Hellickson's turn again. He allowed two early runs, then sailed through the sixth inning. He allowed just five hits and at one point retired 11 in a row. That's when he turned things over to the Phils' trusty bullpen. Bang!

David Hernandez, Hector Neris and Jeanmar Gomez took turns blowing away the Braves in the 7th, 8th and 9th. Gomez picked up his 16th save in 17 tries.

Tyler Goeddel provided some timely hitting, going 3-for-4 with a home run. After a rough start, he's hitting over .300 in the last few weeks.

How long can it last. Well, take a look at the schedule. After a day off today, the Phils will entertain the cellar-dwelling Braves for three, followed by the struggling Detroit Tigers, who are two games under .500. And all six games are at Citizens Bank Park. First-place Phils?

We might need to get used to it.