Phillies host Michael Barkann criticized the team after Friday’s third straight loss to Tampa Bay. Philadelphia is one game ahead of Arizona with two left; the Diamondbacks hold the tiebreaker and would claim the wild-card berth if the teams are tied after Sunday’s games.
A win over Tampa Bay plus an Arizona loss to San Diego would have clinched Philadelphia’s fifth straight playoff berth Friday. Instead, the Phillies missed that chance; their next game, a bullpen outing against Tampa Bay, was scheduled for Saturday.
Barkann said the team had lost nine of its last 14 games, called September “a September to forget,” and said the season was “choking down the drain.”
