Red October is officially back in Philadelphia, but the champagne remains on ice — at least for now. The Philadelphia Phillies, despite a 10-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals at Citizens Bank Park on September 14, 2025, have secured a postseason berth, becoming just the second team in Major League Baseball to clinch a spot in the playoffs this year. The clinch came not with a triumphant on-field celebration, but rather as the team was en route to Los Angeles, thanks to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 10-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants later that evening.
It was a day filled with anticipation, tension, and, ultimately, a mix of disappointment and relief for Phillies fans. The clubhouse was decked out and ready for a celebration that never quite materialized. Plastic tarps hung above lockers, hats and T-shirts commemorating a potential division title sat in boxes, and everyone hoped to see the Phillies clinch the National League East in front of their home crowd. Manager Rob Thomson’s squad needed just one more win — or a Mets loss — to lock up their second straight NL East crown.
Things looked promising right from the start. Kyle Schwarber, who’s been nothing short of a power machine this season, blasted his 52nd home run in the first inning, giving the Phillies an early jolt. Not to be outdone, catcher J.T. Realmuto followed two batters later with a solo shot of his own. On the mound, Aaron Nola retired the first nine Royals he faced, cruising through four scoreless innings and making it seem like a clinch party was all but certain.
"We wanted it to be," Schwarber admitted after the game when asked if it felt like a special day was brewing. "Just fell short."
But baseball, as Phillies fans know all too well, has a way of flipping the script. Nola, a veteran right-hander with a reputation for delivering in big moments, suddenly ran into trouble. He surrendered a game-tying two-run homer to Jac Caglianone in the fifth, then allowed four straight hits to start the sixth. Royals catcher Salvador Perez capped the rally with a three-run homer, putting Kansas City up 6-2 and silencing a crowd that had been on the edge of its seat. Nola’s final line — six runs allowed over six innings — pushed his season ERA to 6.44 in 15 starts, a far cry from his usual postseason-caliber performances.
For context, Nola had been nearly untouchable in previous clinching scenarios. According to Phillies baseball communications, he was 4-1 with a 1.62 ERA in seven prior games where the team could clinch a postseason berth, division title, or playoff series. Thomson acknowledged the importance of Nola’s track record, saying, "You've got to take into account his track record, no doubt about it. But I do want to see him throw the ball consistently like he did in the first four innings today." With ace Zack Wheeler sidelined for the rest of the season, the Phillies will be counting on Nola to anchor the postseason rotation — and they’ll need him to find his groove, and fast.
As the game slipped away, the Phillies’ six-game winning streak came to a screeching halt. Yet, hope lingered in the air. The team, fans, and even stadium staff shifted their focus to the Mets-Rangers game, broadcast on the massive Phanavision screen in left field. If the Mets lost, the Phillies would clinch the division regardless of their own result. The Phillies’ players and coaches gathered in the clubhouse, eyes glued to the TV as the Mets and Rangers battled into extra innings. But Pete Alonso’s walk-off three-run homer gave the Mets a 5-2 win, postponing Philadelphia’s division celebration.
"It would have been nice to win a game at home to clinch it, but it didn't happen," Thomson reflected. "So, we've just got to move on." And move on they did — packing up and heading west for a pivotal three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, beginning September 15.
Despite the bittersweet finish to their homestand, the Phillies’ achievements this season are nothing to sneeze at. As of September 14, they sit atop the NL East with an 89-61 record, having won eight of their last ten games. Their magic number to clinch the division is just one, meaning a single victory over the Dodgers — or a Mets loss — will finally secure that elusive NL East title.
But there’s more at stake than just division bragging rights. The Phillies’ magic number to clinch a first-round bye in the playoffs stands at nine, and they currently hold a 4.5-game lead over the Dodgers for that coveted second bye. That means every contest in Los Angeles carries significant weight, especially with the Dodgers hot on their heels at 84-65 and riding a two-game winning streak of their own.
And let’s not forget the race for the National League’s top seed. The Phillies trail the Milwaukee Brewers by two games for the best record in the NL — and in all of baseball. The Brewers, who hold the tiebreaker thanks to a superior head-to-head record, have a magic number of 11 to clinch home-field advantage throughout the postseason. For the Phillies to leapfrog Milwaukee, they’ll need to make up three games with just 12 left to play. Tall order? No doubt. Impossible? Not for a team that’s thrived on defying expectations all season.
"We all know what's at stake," Schwarber said, echoing the team’s mindset. "I don't think that's going to make us want to try harder or anything like that. We have to stay within ourselves and play our style of baseball. We expect to win a baseball game whenever we walk out of the locker room. That's just the way it is."
As the Phillies head into their crucial West Coast swing, fans can catch the action on NBCSP, with radio broadcasts on 94WIP and WDEL 101.7 FM/1150 AM. For those in the Philadelphia market, streaming is available via nbcsportsphiladelphia.com and the NBCSP app, as well as on FuboTV, Hulu, Peacock, and YouTube TV. MLB.TV subscribers can also tune in, along with those preferring the radio on MLB Audio.
So, while the party was put on hold in South Philly, the promise of October baseball remains alive and well. With a single win, the Phillies can finally pop those corks and claim their second straight NL East title. Until then, the magic number sits at one — and the countdown continues.
