Sep 17, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) celebrates after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Phillies locker room celebrations have become must-see television in the past two years. Whether it's Garrett Stubbs doing interviews with a Budweiser box on his head, players doing keg stands after jumping up and down to their "Phils Win" Spotify playlist through a cascade of beer and champagne showers, to Ranger Suarez doing a solo dance in a trashed clubhouse while double-fisting beers, it's appointment viewing.
Through 10 starts, Ranger Suarez is 9-0 with a 1.36 ERA
HIM.pic.twitter.com/fTHKoddl8j
— Barstool Philly (@BarstoolPhilly) May 22, 2024
The first of those celebrations could happen in Milwaukee on Wednesday night.
It's likely to be a more muted celebration - maybe a champagne toast and not an all-out party - although with this Phillies team, one can never be sure, but the Phillies are one win or one Atlanta Braves loss away from securing a playoff berth.
They partied hard the previous two years because there was no chance they could win the division, so clinching a playoff spot was the highest accomplishment they could achieve in the regular season.
This season is different, so a minor celebration is more likely, if it happens Wednesday, then the big party can be reserved for the Big Apple, where the Phillies can possibly lock up the division as soon as Thursday, if the Mets lose Wednesday.
The Phillies don't have to worry about what anyone else is doing. They control their own destiny. And will be in fine shape as long as Bryce Harper keeps doing this:
Bryce Harper was mad because he thought he flew out, when actually he hit a 394-foot go-ahead homer. 😂pic.twitter.com/5cEvx7VxrH
Interestingly, it was Aaron Nola who pitched a gem in Houston to clinch the playoff spot in 2022, and he was brilliant again in 2023, although he picked up a no decision in the playoff-clinching game that ended with a walk off hit by Johan Rojas against Pittsburgh at Citizens Bank Park.
It's interesting because he can, once again, be the starter in the game in which they clinch, if they can secure it on Wednesday. Being the starting pitcher in that game for the third straight year is probably a little bit of kismet for the longest-tenured Phillie who had to endure the leanest of years before the team got good again.
As for the rest of the magic numbers:
To win the N.L. East - It's currently four. The Mets winning against Washington on Tuesday only allowed the Phillies to trim the number by one with their 5-1 win over the Brewers. If the Phillies win and Mets lose on Wednesday, it sets up a scenario where the Phillies can clinch the division as early as Thursday. If the Phillies and Mets both win, or the Phillies lose, the earliest the Phillies could clinch the division is Friday.
To ensure a first-round bye - The Phillies had a rare reduction of three to their magic number to earn a bye from 10 to 7 with the win over the Brewers on Tuesday. Because the Phillies won the season series with Milwaukee, they now hold a tiebreaker over them, so the Phillies no longer need to finish a game ahead of the Brewers, they would still get the bye if the two teams finish with the same record. So, the Phillies were able to reduce the magic number by one with the win, an additional reduction of one because the Brewers lost, and a third because of securing the tiebreaker.
To ensure home field throughout the postseason - Thanks the Dodgers losing to the Miami Marlins (who saw that coming?) the Phillies magic number for the best record in baseball is down to nine. Much like the situation with the Brewers, the Phillies hold a tiebreaker over the Dodgers, so they would finish as the highest-seeded team if both teams finished with the same record.
