designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) and the Philadelphia Phillies celebrate after clinching the National League East division title at Dodger Stadium. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Philadelphia Phillies are National League East Champions for the second year in a row. That’s something the organization had not accomplished since 2010-2011.
A long day led itself to a back-and-forth classic with a postseason feel with the Phillies coming out on top 6-5 over the Dodgers in 10 innings. Philadelphia landed in Los Angeles just prior to 2:00 a.m. Pacific time, due to a mechanical issue with the team place. Like Harrison Bader told me before, “the game doesn’t care” what struggles you are going through, and that game was starting 17 hours later regardless of what time the players put their heads down in their hotel rooms.
The Phillies series against the Dodgers started with the magic number to clinch their division sitting at one. Kyle Schwarber would quickly give the Phillies a lead, smacking his 53rd home run of the season, and No. 22 against a left-handed pitcher – tying him for most HR vs. LHP by a left-handed batter in a season all-time.
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber (12) hits a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers n the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
That came off reliever, Anthony Banda, who was announced as an opener prior to the game in order to deal with Schwarber and Bryce Harper in the first in an attempt to give their scheduled starter, Emmet Sheehan, a better opportunity to get settled and go deep in the game.
That plan worked well, despite the 1-0 deficit Banda left the game with, as Sheehan went 5 2/3 innings and allowed only one hit and one run. LA’s offense did enough to give him an opportunity to win, but Philadelphia was not done.
Once again, the bottom half of the lineup stepped up for Philly. Otto Kemp roped a ground-rule double to left field to lead off the seventh. Bryson Stott singled to force Kemp home, and Weston Wilson followed up with a 417 foot bomb to straight-away center field to take the lead back.
Phillies fans started to feel reminiscent of some of the classic battles these clubs have gone through in both this era and the 2007-2011 era of these clubs. The high-powered Dodgers wouldn’t roll over, as former MVP Mookie Betts would homer off Orion Kerkering in the bottom inning to tie things up.
Bryce Harper, another former MVP, responded quickly as he led off the top of the eighth with a blast of his own. to take the lead back. Philly would send their prized closer, Jhoan Duran, to the mound to shut the door, but Dodgers didn’t hear ‘last call’ and Andy Pages blasted a hanging curve ball deep to left field to tie things back up.
Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Harrison Bader (2) scores a run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the tenth inning at Dodger Stadium. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
To extras we went, and Philly went small-ball to scratch the auto-runner across on a J.T. Realmuto sacrifice fly after Harrison Bader stole third on the first pitch of the at-bat. David Robertson would shut the door, and the division crown was secured.
Phillies’ job is not done
“That was a heavyweight fight, man,” Harper told reporters after the game – an early preview of what you can expect in October. The Dodgers won the World Series last season. The Phillies are poised to win it this season after falling shorter and shorter the past three seasons. They lost the World Series in 2022, lost in the NLCS in 2023, and lost in the NLDS in 2024.
While there was a celebration, Harper and his club know the job is not done. “We’re a really good team,” the Phillies first baseman said. “I think we’re playing really good baseball right now. Just got to keep going, and keep understanding we have a bigger picture and we have things on our mind that we want to win.”
The team is filled with the same core that they have had since their first trip back to the postseason in 2022, but there are new faces and they were all over the box score. Bader scored the go-ahead run, Duran got the win, Robertson got the save.
Bader has brought a new energy to the clubhouse, and his catch phrase, “what a gift,” has been used across players and coaches to bring positivity and energy to the clubhouse. As one of the three mid-season additions, he hopes to be the gift that keeps on giving – all the way to the World Series.