WATCH: Scenes from the clubhouse after Phillies secure postseason spot in Game 162
The moment the Phillies got their fight back came in the second inning Sunday, and it was Kyle Schwarber diving into second base after a two-run double. It wasn’t a graceful slide. It was closer to a full-body flop, and he popped up covered in dirt, pumped his fist and screamed toward a dugout that was finally loud again. That was the emotion that had been missing from this team for almost a week.
The double mattered on the scoreboard, but the reaction mattered just as much. For five days the Phillies looked tight, flat and completely out of answers, and they went from one win away from clinching to staring at one of the worst collapses in franchise history. Schwarber had been part of the slump himself. Seeing him be the one to break it open, and do it with that kind of energy, flipped the entire mood of the building.
Citizens Bank Park was soggy and gray Sunday, and a night earlier some fans were sitting in the stands with paper bags over their heads. By the time Schwarber was dusting himself off at second, those same people were on their feet. The boos from the rest of the week were gone, and for the first time in days it felt like this was the team everyone expected to see in September.
Wheeler Took Care of the Rest:
Once the offense gave him a lead, Zack Wheeler did exactly what an ace is supposed to do. He shut down the Rays and gave the Phillies the kind of start that let an entire fan base unclench, along with a clubhouse that had been pretty quiet for most of the week. The final was 7-3, the Phillies locked up the last NL wild card spot, and this is now five straight years in the postseason.
Mattingly’s Message:
The clubhouse after the game was electric, and Don Mattingly’s message to his team was blunt. It doesn’t matter how they got in. They’re f***ing in, and now everything goes back to zero. That’s the right mindset. Nobody in October cares that the Phillies made the last week harder than it needed to be. What matters is that they’re playing Tuesday afternoon in Atlanta in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series with a clean slate.
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