Phillies capture first NL East title since 2011 with longballs and a gem from Nola originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The wait was 13 years, so what difference does two extra nights make?
After failing to clinch the division title on Saturday and Sunday, the Phillies finally ended the NL East battle on Monday at Citizens Bank Park, beating the Cubs 6-2 before a sold-out, frenzied crowd of 42,386.
Aaron Nola pitched a gem, JT Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber hit early homers, and the fans had no reason to sit still for the rest of the night. It was a smooth, comfortable win for the Phils after a week of nail-biters visiting playoff teams.
The only exciting inning was the seventh, when Matt Strahm came in for Nola with the bases loaded, but he ended the threat with a strikeout and two groundouts.
It may be hard to remember now, six months later, that the Phillies were not projected to win the NL East in 2024. Far from it.
They had earned national respect after making two straight deep postseason runs — years in which they failed to win the division — but every sportsbook had the Braves and Dodgers at 98 to 100 wins, about 10 games ahead of the Phillies and the rest of the National League field. Opening weekend did little to narrow the perceived gap, as the Phillies were outscored 21-7 in back-to-back blowout losses at home to the Braves.
Then came a complete turnaround. The Phillies went 35-10 from April 5 to May 23, and the NL East was never really in question again. They captured the division, and even at their lowest point this summer, they held on to it, leading by at least five games every day after May 18. The race was certainly affected by the Braves losing several key players to injuries, but the Phillies took care of their own business to build a daunting lead.
Although it seemed inevitable all summer, there is nothing inevitable about winning a division. It takes six months of toil, staying healthy, avoiding distractions, fighting off slumps, keeping the big picture in mind while maintaining a daily perspective. The Phillies hadn’t won a division since 2011, and before that five-straight run, they had won the NL East once in 23 seasons.
So yes, there was still reason to party Monday night, even if this team’s goal was much bigger than the division title.
Nola has a knack for closing deals for the Phillies. This was his seventh start since 2022 in a game that could clinch a playoff spot, a division or a move to the next round for the Phils, and he’s gone 4-1 with a 1.62 ERA. He enters October on a high with back-to-back quality starts against the Brewers and Cubs after poor ones against the Marlins and Mets.
Nola is set to pitch again this season, in game 162 in Washington, DC. If there is nothing left to win on Sunday, it will be an abbreviated start.
Securing a playoff spot was the first step. The Phillies did that Friday in New York. Monday night saw the division. The next goal is to claim a first-round bye, and the magic number is 2. The Phillies lead the Brewers by 4½ games (3½ plus the tiebreaker) with five to play.
Then there’s the home-field advantage. The Phils trail the Dodgers by a half-game for the highest record in the NL, but they hold the tiebreaker if the teams finish with the same record. Los Angeles’ season ends with three home games against the scoring Padres and three this weekend at Coors Field.
The Phillies aren’t endangering anyone this week, but they still have a lot to play for. They can make things easier for themselves in October with a productive final week of September. They’re the only team in baseball with a better home record than the Dodgers, and this week will be the difference between potentially hosting them in Games 1 and 2 of the NLCS or going to the West Coast twice in one week.
All immediate concerns, but tonight the Phillies celebrated the end of another important chapter. The journey has lasted three years and there is only one way it can end happily.
