Phillies know 1st NL East title since 2011 only small step toward World Series championship

PHILADELPHIA — (AP) — It had probably been a minute since a businessman worth $4.1 billion dropped an F-bomb on live television. How many, though, had as good a reason as Phillies owner John Middleton to teeter on the profane after clinching the NL East championship?

Manager Rob Thomson finished a brief clubhouse pep talk to his Phillies team dressed in red “We Own the EAST” T-shirts, goggles strapped to their heads, a bottle of bubbly in each hand, when he welcomed Middleton to the floor.

With that, Middleton blurted, "I want my (expletive) trophy back."

Middleton, Thomson and the rest of the Phillies would spend the night pickled in a broth of beer and booze and reeking from the smoky aroma from cigars puffed throughout the clubhouse.

The Phillies had reason to cut loose, after reaching the playoffs two straight seasons as a wild card, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Aaron Nola and the rest at last broke through to clinch a division title for the first time in 13 years.

It’s a start.

That trophy Middleton wants back in Philly?

Well, the Commissioner's Trophy awarded each season to the World Series champion hasn't called Philly home since 2008. The championship drought has stretched so long, 2008 stars Ryan Howard, Joe Blanton, Jamie Moyer and Shane Victorino have since all found a new team — the Savannah Bananas.

Barring a scenario of improbable results over the final five games, the Phillies are poised to open Game 1 of the NL Division Series on Oct. 5 at Citizens Bank Park.

Zack Wheeler, a leading Cy Young Award contender, is sure to get the start. But for Game 2? The Phillies could turn to the winning pitcher in Monday’s clincher, Nola. Or even Cristopher Sánchez. One reason to give the nod for a home start to Sánchez is this, he has a 2.05 ERA in Philly this season, compared to a whopping 5.02 ERA on the road.

The postseason party is underway. There’s still plenty at stake this week, both in the final two games of a home set against the Chicago Cubs before the Phillies end the season with three games in Washington.

The Phillies rely heavily on Harper, their $330 million franchise star who has keyed their run toward an NL East title. He's battled wrist problems since May while he developed elbow issues down the stretch.

The two-time NL MVP’s power numbers suffered a significant dip since the All-Star break. He didn’t homer between Aug. 9 and Sept. 14 and has added just one more to his total, giving him 29.

“I feel like it’s getting better,” Harper said on the field, an hour or so after he partied shirtless in the clubhouse. “I feel like my swings are OK.”

Thomson said he wouldn’t risk his players’ health this week just to earn the No. 1 seed, but a break with the wild-card round bye could help all the banged-up Phillies.

“I think the bye’s going to help a lot of our team,” Harper said. “I think a lot of guys are kind of grinding through right now a lot of stuff. Kind of getting that reset, kind of hitting that pause for a minute.”

When Harper is healthy, he's as feared as any slugger in the postseason. He batted .500 in the 2022 NLDS against Atlanta, followed with NLCS MVP honors against San Diego, and he lived up to his "Showman" nickname in last year's NLDS against the Braves with two homers, two staredowns and four RBIs in a Game 3 win.

The Phillies knocked off St. Louis and the Miami Marlins in the Wild Card Series each of the last two seasons before they defeated the Braves in the Division Series each year in the next round.

Yes, the NL East champion Braves, who won 100-plus games each season and had the opening round off each time.

In fact, the teams with the five best regular-season records — the Braves, Baltimore (101 wins), Dodgers (100), Tampa Bay (99) and Milwaukee (92) — all failed last season to reach the LCS.

Could the short break derail Philadelphia’s championship run?

The Dodgers entered Tuesday at 93-63, just a half game ahead of Philadelphia’s 93-64 mark.

No. 1 would be fun but No. 2 is almost as good. The Phillies are almost assured of one of those positions, with the magic number for a top-two seed and a bye at two games over Milwaukee. Thanks to two clutch Matt Strahm strikeouts of Shohei Ohtani, the Phillies own the tiebreaker over the Dodgers, and would earn home-field advantage throughout the NL Championship Series if both teams had the same record.

Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series is Oct. 1.

So let’s assume the Phillies get a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. Who's next?

The wild-card race in the final week is a good one in the National League, with San Diego, Arizona and New York in the hunt, and with Atlanta making a late run at the Mets for the final spot.

The Phillies are 5-1 this season against the Padres; 3-4 against the Diamondbacks; 7-6 (including three losses last weekend in New York) against the Mets; and 6-7 against the Braves.

“Every time we walk out that door,” Schwarber said, “we expect to win a game.”

And maybe walk back in at the end of October with the coveted Commissioner’s Trophy, whether it starts with an F or not.

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