The Philadelphia Phillies had a wild time in the locker room on Monday night after winning their first NL East title since 2011.
A 6-2 win over the Chicago Cubs was enough to secure the top spot and ensure that Bryce Harper and Co. go into the postseason as champions.
After the game, players drank beer, donned goggles and smoked cigars to celebrate their rare accomplishment, as they are expected to enter the playoffs as one of the top two teams in the National League.
Currently, the Phillies are number 2 behind the Dodgers, while in the American League the Yankees and the Guardians occupy the top two spots.
In the locker room on Monday, Trea Turner yelled at his alcohol-soaked Phillies teammates to make room as he rode into the locker room on a flatbed truck also packed with cases of beer.
Nick Castellanos took off his jersey to celebrate his victory after the Phillies won the NL East title
Bryce Harper was the center of celebrations in the Phillies locker room on Monday
With his hood up and goggles on, Turner jumped and splashed into the beer and bubbly that soaked the clubhouse floor. The All-Star shortstop was ready to crash the party that surrounded him.
In the game itself, Kyle Schwarber and JT Realmuto hit home runs. Phillies fans went wild. And pitcher Aaron Nola gave a taste of how great it would be for the entire franchise if Philly made it to the end.
“That was our main goal in spring training, to win the division and get a first-round bye,” said hitter Harper. “We’re doing everything we can to get ready for the postseason. The division was our number one priority.”
The Phillies had a tarp stretched over the clubhouse locker rooms before the game, a familiar protection from the impending bottle popping for a team that has made the playoffs each of the past three seasons under coach Rob Thomson.
They were ecstatic when Carlos Estevez hit a fly ball to Michael Busch to end the game. Phillies players crowded around the infield in excitement. The Phillie Phanatic stormed the celebration, waving a 2024 flag as fans stood and filmed it all.
On the field, the players posed for a photo in “We Own the East” jerseys after the win against the Cubs
Weston Wilson and Alec Bohm spray champagne and wear ski goggles in the dressing room
“We know we’re in for a big game,” Schwarber said before the game. “Winning the division is a big deal. If we go out there tonight and do our thing, we’ll earn it. It’s not an easy division to win. It’s never been an easy division to win. It’s definitely going to be a cool thing.”
Oh, it was chilly in Philly for the advertised 42,386 sold-out crowd, with temperatures hovering around 15 degrees – a taste of October weather. That suits this team just fine.
Schwarber, Harper, Turner and Co. already secured their place in the postseason last week, winning the franchise’s 12th Division championship – and are now aiming for first place in the National League playoffs.
Harper and his teammates enter the postseason as champions for the first time in 13 years
There were wild celebrations in Philadelphia as the team drank beer and celebrated
The Phillies (93-64) are in second place, directly behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (93-63), and would receive a bye for the first round if they remain in the same position.
“The most important thing for me is really to win the division and get a bye,” Thomson said. “If we have home advantage for the whole game, that’s a bonus. But I’m not going to put our players in danger to achieve that.”
The Phillies have two games left against the Cubs and will end the season with a three-game series in Washington.
