Phillies trying to hold on, end lengthy postseason drought

By NOAH TRISTER
AP Baseball Writer

Nothing has come easy this year for the Philadelphia Phillies. They are trying to reach the postseason for the first time in over a decade. They started poorly by going 22-29 before manager Joe Girardi was fired. New skipper Rob Thompson won his first eight games, but not long after that, Bryce Harper went down with a broken thumb. While he was out, the Phillies played well enough that they were in the National League’s second wild card spot when he returned late last month. But now they’ve dropped six of seven. Philadelphia hasn’t made the playoffs since 2011. The Phillies are 2 1/2 games ahead of Milwaukee for the final spot in the NL.