PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto homered, and Aaron Nola struck out seven to help the Philadelphia Phillies clinch their first NL East title since 2011 with a 6-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Monday night.
Carlos Estévez retired Michael Busch on a flyball to end it, and the Phillies swarmed each other in excitement on the infield. The Phillie Phanatic stormed the celebration waving a 2024 flag as fans stood and filmed it all.
“I think a lot of guys were kind of looking around and seeing them get fired up and them get excited and being on their feet,” slugger Bryce Harper said. “Just really cool to see. Hopefully, we can do that a lot more.”
With a postseason berth already clinched last week, the Phillies won their 12th division championship — and have their sights set on the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the National League playoffs.
“We need to get the bye, that’s pretty important to us. Really important to us,” manager Rob Thomson said. “Whether you’re the division champion or not, I don’t think that gives you any type of advantage. I think having home-field advantage and having a bye is going to help us quite a bit.”
Philadelphia won five straight NL East titles from 2007-11, then went 10 years without making the playoffs. A wild-card entry each of the past two postseasons, the Phillies put together consecutive October runs that ended in heartbreak.
They lost the World Series to Houston in 2022 and blew series leads of 2-0 and 3-2 in dropping the NL Championship Series to Arizona last season.
This marks the third time the Phillies have reached the postseason three years in a row (1976-78 and 2007-11). Philadelphia’s only World Series championships came in 1980 and 2008.
“We’ve just got to play Philly baseball and continue to play,” Harper said.
Nola (13-8) allowed two runs in six-plus innings. He walked off to a standing ovation when he was pulled for Matt Strahm.
Since 2022, Nola has started seven games in which the Phillies could either clinch a postseason berth, clinch a postseason series or clinch a division title. He has posted a 1.62 ERA with 46 strikeouts against seven walks in those outings.
Realmuto hit a two-run shot in the second and Schwarber added a solo homer in the third for a 3-0 lead. Schwarber’s 37th of the season gave him 100 RBIs. Nick Castellanos also had an RBI single in the third.
Schwarber is the third Phillies player since 1920 with 100 runs, 100 RBIs and 100 walks in back-to-back seasons. Bobby Abreu (2004-05) and Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt (1976-77) are the others.
Cubs reliever Caleb Kilian (0-1) took the loss in a bullpen game.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cubs: Claimed RHP Enoli Paredes off waivers from Milwaukee. Paredes, who turns 29 on Saturday, went 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA and one save in 17 relief appearances with the Brewers. He dealt with a right forearm issue earlier this season that caused him to spend more than two months on the injured list.
Phillies: OF Austin Hays could return ahead of Tuesday’s game after a stint on the injured list with a kidney infection. … RHP Spencer Turnbull pitched two innings Sunday in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
UP NEXT
The Cubs send LHP Justin Steele (5-5, 3.03 ERA) to the mound. The Phillies had not announced a starter for Tuesday’s game.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb