Phillies Win First NL East Title Since 2011: Possible Playoff Schedule
PHILADELPHIA, PA — Red October is coming in with a bang.
The Phillies beat the Cubs Monday night, 6-2, guaranteeing their first National League East division title in 13 years as the team gears up for what it believes is its destiny later this November.
While 2024 marks the third consecutive playoff appearance for this newest generation of Phillies, this team had not yet won a division title. The last time that happened was the era of Roy Halladay, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins, a 2011 dream team that held MLB's best record, but was ultimately foiled in the first round of the playoffs.
This year's Phillies also have MLB's best record, but they're still seeking that elusive parade down Broad Street this fall to truly cement their legacy alongside the 2007-2011 teams and the 1980s squads.
From the archives: Phillies Snap 11 Year Playoff Drought With Epic Win
There are just a few days left in the regular season, and the Phillies have only five more games to play. Here's what's next.
MLB playoffs, explained
Six teams from each league make the playoffs: the three division winners, and the three wild cards with the three next best records.
The top two division winners in each league get a first round bye.
The Phillies are all but guaranteed to be one of those top two seeds, as they're currently tied with the Dodgers and four games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Phillies have two more games with the Cubs, then three against the Nationals in Washington to finish the season on Sunday, Sept. 29. The games are still important because if they tie with LA or have the better record, they would have home field advantage in a potential playoff series against them.
If the playoffs started today
The Phillies would be the number 1 seed in the National League and would get a first round bye, along with the Dodgers.
The Phillies would then play the winner of the best of three Wild Card series between the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, would play the winner of the Milwaukee Brewers and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Padres and the Mets have been the best teams in baseball in the second half of the season, so it may actually be a more desirable matchup if the Phillies wind up as the second seed, and play either the Brewers, who they've handled well this year, or the struggling Dbacks.
However, the Wild Card field is not yet finalized, and the Atlanta Braves, who are only two games back, could still sneak in and replace either the Dbacks or the Mets.
If the playoffs started today, the Phillies would have home field advantage through the National League Championship Series and the World Series, unless they met the New York Yankees. The Yankees have the same record as the Phillies, but hold the tiebreaker because they beat the Phillies in their regular season series.
Dates and times
Since the Phillies will almost certainly get to skip the Wild Card round, their first playoff game will be in the National League Divisional Series. Here's the NLDS schedule:
Oct. 5, Game 1 in Philadelphia
Oct. 6, Game 2 in Philadelphia
Oct. 8, Game 3 away
Oct. 9, Game 4 away (if necessary)
