The Phillies were early contenders for the Wild Card but were unable to overcome injuries to players such as the eight time winner of what?
1999 Philadelphia Phillies season The Phillies were early contenders for the Wild Card, going a season-high 13 games over .500 on August 6 (61–48), but injuries to pitching staff ace Curt Schilling and third baseman Scott Rolen, as well as a struggling bullpen, proved too tough to overcome. In one particularly bad stretch from August 28 to September 14, the Phillies went 1–18.
1986 Philadelphia Phillies season The 1986 Philadelphia Phillies season was the 104th season for the Phillies. Under second-year manager John Felske, the Phillies stayed just below the .500 mark for roughly two-thirds of the season, until a charge after the All-Star break pushed the club past the St. Louis Cardinals and Montreal Expos into second place in the NL East. The eventual World Series champions rival New York Mets finished with a Major League best 108-54 record, and finished 21⁄ games ahead of the Phillies. The Mets and the Phillies were the only teams in the National League East to post winning records. Mike Schmidt became the first third baseman in the history of the National League to win the MVP Award three times.