Philadelphia Phillies reach World Series
It has been a wild season for the Philadelphia Phillies, who finished third in the National League East division with a record of 87-75. Despite finishing behind both the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves during the regular season though, the Phillies clinched their first World Series berth since 2009 with a 4-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday afternoon.
Down 3-2 in the eighth inning, Phillies slugger Bryce Harper crushed a two-run home run to give the Phillies the 4-3 lead and send Citizens Bank Park into a frenzy.
“I hit the ball, and I just looked at my dugout, and kind of it’s for all of them,” Harper said following the game, via Sportsnet.ca. “It’s for this whole team. It’s for this whole organization.”
Even the opposition couldn’t believe what Harper had done.
“Unbelievable take,” Padres catcher Austin Nola said, via MLB.com. “Unbelievable take. That’s the pitch he swings at. The fact he patented up and took — that’s Suarez’s best pitch. Hands down.”
Harper has had an incredible postseason for the Phillies, batting 439 (18 for 41) with six doubles, five homers, 11 RBIs and 10 runs scored over 11 playoff games. He has hit in 10 straight and has reached base in 11 straight.
“To a certain degree, it’s getting overlooked because of who he is and the star that he is,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson commented. “He’s a guy that’s a big star that’s delivered. Can’t say enough about that.”
To nobody’s surprise, Harper was named the National League Championship Series MVP following the Phillies’ victory.
“We’ve always called him ‘The Showman,’” Zack Wheeler said. “Every time he comes up in a big spot, he gets a knock or something like that. He’s a showman. That’s the reason why you sign him, the city loves him. I mean, you can’t say enough about the guy. He just has the ‘thing’ in him. He has that in him where he steps up in big moments. He’s always been a dude.”
The Phillies swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the Wild Card round before knocking out division rivals the Atlanta Braves in the National League Divisional Series. They’ve only lost two games throughout the entire duration of the playoffs and will be full of confidence heading into the World Series against the Houston Astros.
“We all think in our backyard it’s the World Series, right?” Harper said. “I think the opportunity is huge, but you’re grateful for that opportunity. I think if you go in with gratitude in the at-bat, it doesn’t matter what happens.”
The Phillies will travel to Houston to meet the Astros in game one of the World Series on Friday evening at Minute Maid Park. The Astros also advanced to the World Series on Sunday by sweeping the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series. This is their third trip to the World Series in the past five years, losing in both 2019 and 2021. They did manage to win it in 2017 though and are aiming to add another very soon.
