Phillies manager Joe Girardi takes blame for disappointing season: 'I failed'

Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi is taking a lot of the blame for a disappointing season after his club was eliminated from postseason contention by the Atlanta Braves on Thursday. 

"I feel like I failed, you know, getting us to where we wanted to get to," Girardi said, according to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philly. "I always take full responsibility. I failed and it's a really empty feeling."

The Phillies entered September two games behind the Braves for the division lead after an eight-game winning streak in August. They kept things tight and had the chance to take the top spot in the NL East over the last several days but squandered the opportunity after being swept by the Braves. 

"It's extreme disappointment because of what we put into it. And when you have a chance in the last week and you don't get it done, it's extreme disappointment," Girardi said. 

"It stinks. It hurts. We've been going at this since that last day of last year from a mental standpoint, from a physical standpoint, and it hurts."

The Phillies can still finish the year with a winning record if they win one of their final three games against the Miami Marlins. They haven't had a winning campaign since 2011. 

Girardi is in his second season as manager of the Phillies after 10 seasons with the New York Yankees. It'll be interesting to see how he handles the final few games of the season.