Phillies have Sights towards MLB Baseball Playoffs

The demolition derby of a center fielder for the Philadelphia Phillies is out for the rest of the MLB Baseball season.

Their closer is on the disabled list. Their No. 3 hitter was traded to the New York Yankees last month. One of their starting pitchers was part of that deal. Their general manager spoke about trying to win by 2008.

Still, somehow, in the softer-than-marshmallow National League, the Phillies have parlayed three and a half solid weeks into making themselves legitimate contenders for a wild-card berth. The Phillies were prepared to wave goodbye to winning this year at the nonwaiver trading deadline, but not anymore.

In a league in which 85 victories could be good enough to snare the fourth postseason spot, the Phillies are 64-63 after yesterday’s 11-2 loss to the Cubs in Chicago. They begin a three-game series against the Mets tonight and were two and a half games behind the Cincinnati Reds for the wild card. The Philadelphia Phillies are a flawed team in a ho-hum league, but they would be foolish if they did not think they could win it.

''I think everybody's still in it,'' said Ruben Amaro Jr., the Phillies' assistant general manager. ''I don’t think anybody is running away with it. You don't know what's going to happen.''

Not even the Phillies expected what had happened. When they sent right fielder Bobby Abreu, their No. 3 hitter and one of their best players in franchise history, and pitcher Cory Lidle to the Yankees for four minor leaguers July 30, it was a salary dump. It looked like a white flag, too. The Phillies freed themselves of almost $23 million and were frank about their prospects.

''Realistically, I think it’s a stretch to think we’re going to be there in '07,'' General Manager Pat Gillick said at the time. ''I think probably right now it’s going to take longer than that.''

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Detroit Tigers 3/2

Chicago White Sox 9/2

Houston Astros 16/1

New York Yankees 19/2