Confirmed Back: Phillies beat the Pirates in extras, clinch postseason berth for second straight season

Drew Smith
September 27, 2023
Phillies
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Red October is here. The Philadelphia Phillies are heading back to the postseason for the second straight season. This time, they’ll enter October as the No. 1 team in the National League Wild Card as they punched their tickets to the playoffs in walk off fashion against the Pirates last night.

Aaron Nola Delivers

Last week against the Atlanta Braves, Nola tossed six innings, allowing two earned runs and zero walks while striking out eight.

Last night, on the mound for the second straight season in attempt to send the Phillies to the postseason Nola delivered again, tossing 6.2 innings, allowing just four hits, one earned run, and zero walks while striking out eight.

It hasn’t been an easy 2023 campaign for Nola, but if his last two starts are any indication, any doubt that the Phillies No. 2 starter in the postseason is ready for October can be swiftly forgotten.

Brandon Marsh handed the Phillies a 1-0 lead last night against the Pirates on a solo home run deep to center field in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Brandon Marsh Solo Home Run

Bryce Harper then hit a sac fly to center fielder Jack Suwinski that scored Kyle Schwarber to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead.

Nola’s only slip up was in the top of the seventh inning when he coughed up a solo home run to Bryan Reynolds. Craig Kimbrel, who was pitching in the eighth inning, continued his late-season struggles and coughed up the game-tying home run to Henry Davis.

Hoffman, Pache, and Rojas…Go Figure

The Fightins sent Jeff Hoffman on the mound in extra innings against the Pirates to set the stage for a storybook ending to an incredible 2023 season.

Hoffman is a guy who was literally on his way to Japan before the Phillies finally guaranteed his contract at the end of April and now, on the brink of Red October, he is a proven bullpen arm for the postseason. He delivered again, throwing a scoreless top of the 10th inning.

On the season, Hoffman posted a strong 5-2 record with a 2.47 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP over 51 innings of work.

The Phillies sent Cristian Pache out to second base in the bottom of the 10th inning as their zombie runner and Johan Rojas, the mid-season call up for from Double A Reading stepped up to the plate.

Rojas delivered, roping a single up the center of the infield as Pache raced home to send the Philadelphia Phillies to the postseason in walk off fashion.

Johan Rojas Walk Off Sends the Phillies to the Postseason

Red October

The Phillies secured a ticket to the postseason and with the D-Backs losing to the Atlanta Braves, the No. 1 Wild Card spot in the National League.

They now await their opponent in the Wild Card round, which will be the No. 2 spot in the standings. If the season were to end today, the Phillies would host the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 3-game series at Citizens Bank Park.