Joe Girardi not worried about job security despite Philadelphia Phillies’ growing NL East standings deficit

Phillies manager Joe Girardi says he is not worried about his job security amid a losing stretch that has dropped Philadelphia 10½ games behind the New York Mets in the National League East.

The Phillies have lost 10 of their past 14 games and ended their seven-game road trip in disappointing fashion Sunday night, when they squandered a ninth-inning lead in a 5-4 walk-off loss to the rival Mets. With their three-game weekend series sweep, the Mets improved to 9-3 against Philadelphia this season.

Girardi, who is in the final year of his three-year deal with Philadelphia, said the loss was “extremely frustrating” but insisted he isn’t thinking about his future with the Phillies.

“I don’t worry about my job,” Girardi said. “I’ve never worried about my job. I don’t worry about my job. I’ve got to do my job. It’s the business of being a manager. I don’t worry about it.”

The Phillies are 21-27 despite a $233 million payroll — the fourth highest in the majors — and a roster featuring 2021 NL MVP Bryce Harper, star catcher J.T. Realmuto, ace pitchers Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, and free-agent newcomers Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber.

Despite the lofty preseason expectations, the Phillies enter Monday closer to the last-place Nationals (18-31) in the NL East than the first-place Mets (32-17) after a 2-5 road trip that included two walk-off losses.

Castellanos’ three-run homer gave Philadelphia a 4-3 lead Sunday night, but struggling closer Corey Knebel surrendered Nick Plummer’s tying homer in the ninth inning and Eduardo Escobar’s winning double in the 10th.

“Good teams don’t do that,” Harper said. “Getting walked off twice in games we should have won. It’s tough — big homer, big homer and lose. It’s crushing.”

The loss came hours after The Philadelphia Inquirer published a report in which multiple Phillies players pondered a perceived lack of energy from fellow players this season.

Castellanos told the Inquirer he doesn’t “know how to describe the energy…