I mean, this is just meaningless superstition stuff, I don't really believe it. The Cardinals took the Phillies plenty seriously, they just had one guy who couldn't pitch in the eighth inning of Game 1. And the Braves knew the Phillies were good. Division rival and Phillies were 8-11 against them. That one really turned on Strider not being ready to pitch.
I do feel like maybe the Padres, riding high off their upsets of two 100-win teams and with a much better record than the Phillies, got a little more than they bargained for.
Right now the Phillies would play the Giants, which they'd certainly take seriously given all the history.
Not at all sure where you are getting 3-10 and would also debate "swoon." They were 7-8 in the last 15 games of September last year, and 4-8 in the last 12, with two of the losses coming after they clinched and therefore irrelevant. (so they finished 7-6 in games that mattered. There was a five-game losing streak in there, admittedly).
But that almost proves my point. Last year on September 23 they were a mere half-game up, went 4-6, and still clinched with two games to play. This year they may well have a five-game game lead by mid-September, and missing the playoffs entirely won't be on the table at all. And momentum carrying into October is debatable at best.
Barring really horrible things of course. Being without three of our four best left-handed hitters all at once all of a sudden isn't ideal obviously.
