The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Chicago Cubs 6-2 on Monday night to win the National League East division for the first time since 2011.
Kyle Schwarber and JT Realmuto hit home runs, the Phillies fans went wild, and Aaron Nola gave us a taste of how good it would feel for the franchise if they won this time.
Before the game, the Phillies had tarps wrapped over the clubhouse locker room, a familiar protective measure for the upcoming bottle-popping contest for a team that has made the playoffs the past three straight seasons under manager Rob Thomson.
“We have big things in front of us,” Schwarber said before the game. “A district championship would be huge. If we come out tonight and do our part, it would be a well-deserved win. It’s not easy to win a district championship. It’s never been an easy district championship before. It would be great, for sure.”
Ah, Philadelphia, although the announced attendance was a sellout of 42,386, offered a glimpse of October weather with temperatures in the cool 60s Fahrenheit.
That’s a perfect fit for this team.
Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner, who clinched at least the National League wild card last week, are in the running to win the franchise’s 12th division title and claim the top seed in the National League playoffs.
The Phillies (93-64) remain in second place behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (93-63) and will receive a first-round exemption if their ranking remains unchanged.
“Really the most important thing to me is winning the division and getting a bye week,” Thompson said. “If we can play all of our games on our home field, that’s a bonus, but I’m not going to put my guys at risk for that.”
The Phillies have two games remaining against the Cubs and will close the season with a three-game series in Washington.
A playoff appearance has become a given for the Phillies, but that inevitability may have kept some fans in the stadium, where empty seats could be seen at Citizens Bank Park, which has attracted more than 3.2 million fans despite selling out game after game during a sensational season.
Thompson said a rival coach once told him a playoff game in Philadelphia was “four hours of hell.”
“I think it’s the best atmosphere in sports,” All-Star relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman said. “It’s like 50,000 people against nine people. It’s always a good feeling when you step on the field.”
Phillies fans were greeted with the word “Championship” displayed on the video board outside Citizens Bank Park, and at the main entrance a “Make More History” banner featured photos of anchors Harper and Nola.
The Phillies got the final out of the game against the Cubs to clinch the National League East title for the first time since 2011.
Philadelphia is looking to end Atlanta’s streak of six straight National League East titles and finish with the major league’s best record and home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
The Phillies, seeking their third World Series championship after 1980 and 2008, overtook Atlanta for the lead in the division on May 3 and have held the lead ever since.
Philadelphia won five straight NL East titles from 2007 to 2011 before missing the playoffs for a decade. The Phillies have made wild-card appearances in the past two postseasons, but their October streak ended in disaster after consecutive strong starts.
They reached the 2022 World Series but lost to Houston in six games and lost to Arizona in the seven-game National League Championship Series last year despite leading the underdog Diamondbacks 2-0 and 3-2.
The team is off to the best 50-game start in the major leagues since Seattle in 2001, but their road to the division title has been a bit bumpy. The Phillies struggled over the summer and went 2-5 this week against Milwaukee and the New York Mets.
Both are teams the Phillies could face in October.
It seemed fitting that the 31-year-old Nola would take the mound in the final game. Nola was the Phillies’ first-round draft pick in 2014, made his debut the following year and has been with the organization ever since. He is one of the most reliable pitchers in baseball, a valuable asset in an era when the emphasis is on major league relief pitchers.
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Nola helped Philadelphia reach the National League Wild Card finals last year, then started four playoff games, going 3-1 with a 2.35 ERA, before going 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA in five postseason starts in 2022.
Nola briefly dabbled in the free agent market last offseason before signing a seven-year, $172 million contract to remain with the Phillies.
His reward will be another chance at the postseason to bring home their first World Series title in 16 years.
Reported by The Associated Press.
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