Phillies know first NL East title since 2011 is just a small step toward World Series championship

PHILADELPHIA — It’s probably been a minute since a $4.1 billion businessman cursed on live television, but how many have had as good a reason as Phillies owner John Middleton to waver on profanity after winning the NL East championship?

Manager Rob Thomson finished giving a short pep talk in the clubhouse to his Phillies players, dressed in red “We Own the EAST” shirts, goggles on their heads and a bottle of champagne in each hand, before welcoming Middleton to the court.

After these words, Middleton exclaimed, “I want my (expletive) trophy back.”

Middleton, Thomson and the rest of the Phillies spent the night drinking beer and liquor, intoxicated by the smoke from cigars burned throughout the clubhouse.

The Phillies had reason to relax, as after making the playoffs two straight seasons as a wild card, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Aaron Nola and the rest finally broke through and won their first division title in 13 years.

This is a beginning.

Does Middleton want to reclaim the trophy in Philadelphia?

Well, the Commissioner’s Cup, awarded each season to the World Series champion, hasn’t had a home in Philadelphia since 2008. The championship drought lasted so long that 2008 stars Ryan Howard, Joe Blanton, Jamie Moyer and Shane Victorino have since found a new team — the Savannah Bananas.

Barring anything incredible happening in the final five games, the Phillies are poised to open Game 1 of the NL Division Series on Oct. 5 at Citizens Bank Park.

Zack Wheeler, a leading Cy Young candidate, will certainly start. But in Game 2? The Phillies could turn to the winning pitcher in Monday’s deciding game, Nola. Or even Christopher Sánchez. One reason to give Sánchez a chance at home is that he has a 2.05 ERA in Philadelphia this season, compared to a stunning 5.02 ERA on the road.

The postseason party continues. The stakes remain high this week, with both the final two home games against the Chicago Cubs and the Phillies closing out the season with a three-game series in Washington.

How is Bryce?

The Phillies are relying heavily on Harper, the franchise’s $330 million star who led them to the NL East title. He has been battling wrist problems since May and has been struggling with elbow problems at the plate.

The two-time NL MVP has seen his power drop off significantly since the All-Star break. He didn’t hit a home run between Aug. 9 and Sept. 14 and added just one to his total, giving him 29.

“I feel like I’m getting better,” Harper said on the field, an hour or two after playing shirtless in the clubhouse. “I feel like my swing is OK.”

Thomson said he wouldn’t risk the health of his players this week just to clinch the top spot, but a break in the wild-card round could help all the battered Phillies.

“I think the break will help our team a lot,” Harper said. “I think a lot of guys are going through a lot of things right now. It’s kind of a reset, like a pause for a moment.”

When healthy, Harper is as feared as any slugger in the postseason. He had a .500 average in the 2022 NLDS against Atlanta, then won NLCS MVP honors against San Diego and lived up to his “Showman” nickname in last year’s NLDS against the Braves, belting two home runs, two homers and four RBIs in a Game 3 win.

Say hello and goodbye

In each of the last two seasons, the Phillies have defeated the St. Louis and Miami Marlins in the Wild Card Series, and in each of the following years they have defeated the Braves in the Division Series.

Yes, the NL East champion Braves, who have won more than 100 games in each season and had a bye each time.

In fact, the five teams with the best regular-season records — the Braves, Baltimore (101 wins), Dodgers (100), Tampa Bay (99) and Milwaukee (92) — failed to reach the LCS last season.

Could a short break ruin Philadelphia’s title bid?

Are we number 1?

The Dodgers entered Tuesday with a record of 93-63, just a half-game ahead of Philadelphia (93-64).

No. 1 would be nice, but No. 2 is almost as good. The Phillies are almost certain to have one of those spots, with a magic number for the top two and time off in two games over Milwaukee. Thanks to two key strikeouts by Matt Strahm off Shohei Ohtani, the Phillies have an advantage over the Dodgers and would have home-field advantage in the NL Championship Series if both teams had the same record.

The first match of the NL Wild Card Series will take place on October 1.

On board

So let’s assume the Phillies get the No. 1 or No. 2 seed. Who’s next?

The final week of play in the National League sees a tight wild card battle between San Diego, Arizona and New York, with Atlanta later attempting to beat the Mets for the final spot.

This season, the Phillies are 5-1 against the Padres; 3-4 against the Diamondbacks; 7-6 (including three losses last weekend in New York) against the Mets; and 6-7 against the Braves.

“Every time we walk out the door,” Schwarber said, “we expect to win the game.”

And he could return in late October with the coveted Commissioner’s Cup, whether his rating starts with an F or not.