Philadelphia Phillies Claim Victory and First-Round Bye Against Chicago Cubs

The Philadelphia Phillies delivered memorable performances on Wednesday night, securing a 9-6 win over the Chicago Cubs. With home runs from Nick Castellanos, Trea Turner, and Kody Clemens, the Phillies not only celebrated a victory but also clinched a first-round bye in the upcoming playoffs. An impressive three hits and three runs by Castellanos, along with Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh’s contributions, helped the Phillies clinch their first NL East title in 13 years earlier this week.

Phillies Secure Home-field Advantage in the NLDS

This win over the Chicago Cubs, combined with the Milwaukee Brewers’ 2-1 defeat to the Pittsburgh Pirates, confirmed the Phillies’ bye and home-field advantage in the NLDS. The Phillies hold the tiebreaker over the Brewers, having won the season series against the NL Central champions. The first game of the NLDS will be hosted by the Phillies on Oct. 5.

Player Reactions to the Win

Brandon Marsh expressed his excitement about the future, saying, “We just have to take it one step at a time and take care of business. There’s nothing like it. This is why we show up. This is the stuff we dream about.”

Game Highlights and Upcoming Fixtures

Despite two home runs from Nico Hoerner and four singles from Isaac Paredes, the Cubs lost two out of three games in the series. This resulted in a final road record of 39-42 for the season. The Phillies closed out their home games with a 54-27 record, with their only home loss against the Mets in London. An impressive crowd of 42,438 was present for the 47th sellout of the season at Citizens Bank Park, pushing the total attendance to 3,308,638 for the year.

The Phillies will now head to Washington for their final three games of the season, aiming to clinch home-field advantage through the NL Championship Series. They can achieve this by ending the season tied with or ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Manager’s Thoughts

Rob Thomson, the Phillies’ manager, hinted at giving some of the regular players a rest in the final three games. He said, “I think it’s huge to get these guys some rest.”

Key Moments from the Game

The Phillies gained an early advantage with Turner’s one-out solo shot in the first inning, followed by Stott’s two-run double against Javier Assad (7-6). Despite Hoerner’s three-run shot off Cristopher Sánchez in the fourth, Marsh’s three-run double in the fifth extended the Phillies’ lead to 8-4. The Cubs’ manager, Craig Counsell, acknowledged the fifth inning as a turning point, stating, “We got into a jam in the fifth, and they got a big hit.”

Up Next

The Cubs will have a day off before RHP Jameson Taillon (11-8, 3.41 ERA) starts against Cincinnati in a three-game home series. Meanwhile, the Phillies will see LHP Ranger Suárez (12-7, 3.15 ERA) start against the Nationals on Friday.