When a team is 19 games out of first place in mid-August, you take your storylines where you can get them.

For these down-and-out Phillies, there are only a handful of meaningful dramas to keep an eye on as the season moves into its final act.

One is the auditions that young players such as Domonic Brown and a handful of relievers are getting.

Another is Cole Hamels' candidacy in the NL Cy Young race.