The Philadelphia Phillies have won the NL East division title for the first time since 2011. A 6-2 win against the Chicago Cubs on Monday secured the division title, which appeared a foregone conclusion even after a series loss to the New York Mets over the weekend. Aaron Nola got the win on the mound. Nola has a 1.62 ERA and a 6.57 strikeout-to-walk rate in seven potential clinching starts since 2022. Furthermore, Nola now has a 13-8 record with a 3.52 ERA this season.
A home run by J.T. Realmuto in the second inning started the scoring for the Phillies. Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos would later drive in runs as well. It is fitting that Nola, the longest-tenured current Phillies player, gets the win on the night the team clinches its first division title in 13 years. This season marks the third consecutive postseason berth for the Phillies. Additionally, manager Rob Thomson has now led the Phillies to consecutive 90-win seasons. That has not happened since the 2008-2011 seasons.
NL EAST CHAMPIONS pic.twitter.com/peQVT1C08I
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 24, 2024
Phillies Win NL East Title for First Time in 13 Years
This is the 14th division title in Phillies history (including their two NL pennant wins in 1915 and 1950, before the divisional era). They have won six NL East titles in the Wild Card era. Prior to 2024, the last time the Phillies won the division was in 2011, which was the last of five consecutive division titles. Now, their magic number to clinch a first-round bye is two. This means some combination of Phillies wins and Milwaukee Brewers losses that equals two is enough to secure a bye to the NLDS. However, the Phillies do not currently control their own destiny for the top seed in the NL. Securing a bye at minimum is important though, because the best-of-three Wild Card Series can be very unpredictable.
Ultimately if the Phillies, are able to secure the top overall seed as well as the best record in baseball that would be ideal. Having home-field advantage throughout the postseason in an environment like Citizens Bank Park can be a difference-maker.
Photo Credit: © Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
