Phillies win NL East, their first division title since 2011

PHILADELPHIA – Trea Turner yelled at his alcohol-soaked Philadelphia Phillies teammates to clear the way – the clouds of smoke from the puffs of his victory cigar certainly ripped a hole – as he rode into the clubhouse on a flatbed truck that was also loaded with cases of beer.

With his hood up and goggles on, Turner jumped and splashed into the beer and bubbly that soaked the clubhouse floor. The All-Star shortstop was ready to crash the party that surrounded him.

The Phillies are used to parties, but this time there was a surprise: For the first time in 13 years they are moving into the postseason as champions of the National League East.

Kyle Schwarber and JT Realmuto hit home runs. Phillies fans were over the moon. And pitcher Aaron Nola gave a taste of how great it would be for the entire franchise if Philly made it to the end.

The Phillies won the NL East for the first time since 2011, securing the division title with a 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Monday night.

“That was our main goal in spring training, to win the division and get the first-round bye,” said hitter Bryce Harper. “We did everything we could to prepare for the postseason. The division came first.”

The Phillies had a tarp stretched over the clubhouse locker rooms before the game, a familiar protection from the impending bottle popping for a team that has made the playoffs each of the past three seasons under coach Rob Thomson.

They were ecstatic when Carlos Estevez took out Michael Busch with a fly ball to end the game. Phillies players crowded around the infield in excitement. The Phillie Phanatic stormed the celebration, waving a 2024 flag as fans stood and filmed it all.

“We know we're in for a big game,” Schwarber said before the game. “Winning the division is a big deal. If we go out there tonight and do our thing, we'll earn it. It's not an easy division to win. It's never been an easy division to win. It's definitely going to be a cool thing.”

Oh, it was cool for the announced 42,386 sold-out spectators in Philly, with temperatures above 15 degrees – a little foretaste of the October weather.

That fits well with this group.

Schwarber, Harper, Turner and Co. already secured their place in the postseason last week, winning the franchise's 12th Division championship – and are now aiming for first place in the NL playoffs.

The Phillies (93-64) are in second place, directly behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (93-63), and would receive a bye for the first round if they remain in the same position.

“The most important thing for me really is to win the division and get a bye,” Thomson said. “If we have home advantage for the whole game, that's a bonus. But I'm not going to put our players in danger to achieve that.”

The Phillies have two games left against the Cubs and will end the season with a three-game series in Washington.

With playoff appearances now the norm for the Phillies, perhaps the inevitability of it all kept some fans at home. After a sensational season of selling out game after game, Citizens Bank Park, which has seen over 3.2 million spectators, was left with empty seats.

Thomson once said an opposing coach told him a playoff game in Philly was “four hours of hell.”

“I think it's the best atmosphere in sports,” said All-Star relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman. “It feels like 50,000 against nine. It's always a good feeling when you step on the field.”

Phillies fans were greeted with “CLINCHED” on the video board outside Citizens Bank Park, while Harper and Nola were featured as anchor photos on a “Make More HISTORY” banner at the main entrance.

“To be able to come home and do this, in front of the best fans in baseball, in front of a fan base that was there for us every night, was just a lot of fun,” Harper said.

Philadelphia ended Atlanta's streak of six consecutive NL East titles and is trying to finish the season with the best major league record and home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

Seeking their third World Series title to add to their 1980 and 2008 titles, the Phillies overtook Atlanta on May 3 to take the division lead and have not trailed since.

Philadelphia won the NL East title five times in a row from 2007 to 2011, but then went ten years without making the playoffs. The Phillies have been wild-card entrants in the last two playoffs and had two consecutive wins in October, but they ended in a bitter blow.

They reached the 2022 World Series, losing to Houston in six games, and lost a seven-game NL Championship Series to Arizona last year after leading the underdog Diamondbacks 2-0 and 3-2.

The road to this division title was a bit bumpy after the team made the best 50-game start in the major leagues since Seattle in 2001. The Phillies hit a slump over the summer and returned home this week from a 5-2 road loss to Milwaukee and the New York Mets.

Both are teams the Phillies could face in October.

It seemed fitting that the 31-year-old Nola was on the mound for the decisive game. Selected by the Phillies in the first round of the 2014 draft, Nola made his debut the following year and stayed with them his entire career. He was one of the most reliable pitchers in baseball – a valuable commodity given the modern pressures on bullpens in the big leagues.

Nola helped Philadelphia earn a wild-card berth last year, then went 3-1 with a 2.35 ERA in four playoff starts. He made five playoff starts in 2022, going 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA.

Nola briefly tested the free agent market last season before signing a seven-year, $172 million contract to stay with the Phillies.

His reward is another chance in the postseason to bring home a World Series title that he has now worked toward for 16 years.

“I think that says a lot about our club. We remained hungry after the losses in the World Series and CS last year,” Nola said. “We hope we can keep it that way.”