Phillies Focus On Future After Losing World Series To Yankees
PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies have two very different goals for the rest of this season. There will be a goal, and a target for that goal, next week.
The team, for the most part a collection that has seen its ups and downs all season, is hoping one of those two goals is reached.
After Saturday’s 3-2 loss in New York, the team’s goal now is to take a 5 1/2-game lead in the National League East and clinch their first playoff berth as well as a wild card spot.
“We are in the hunt,” manager Pete Mackanin said on Sunday.
The two other goals for the Phillies moving forward next week are more elusive.
The club is looking for a strong finish with a winning record for the first time in 19 tries. They feel they accomplished that on Saturday.
And on Thursday they will seek to end the club’s longest active winless streak, which stands at 14 games.
The Phillies are in a hole as many have pointed out this year. But what they have not done is lose their mind yet again.
“We haven’t shown a lot of panic this year. We’ve shown a lot of fight,” Mackanin said. “We’ve shown a lot of character.”
On the other end of the spectrum, the club is still waiting for a new manager to come in.
The Phils are currently in limbo, with Mackanin and his staff in Philadelphia and former managers Charlie Manuel in New York.
Mackanin and his staff have had to do their part by putting together an improved roster, which included the offseason addition of Cole Hamels and the offseason trade acquisition of Scott Eyre.
But the results have been mixed. The Phillies’ offense, which was supposed to be great this year after so many free agents signed and traded, has been inconsistent.
Even though the Phillies had a great season in 2011, they have not had an unblemished pitching staff. They have had some rough seasons in recent history, such as in 2011 when they finished at the