Los Angeles — The Philadelphia Phillies secured their second straight NL East title Monday night, pulling off a 6–5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in 10 innings. The game was punctuated by tension, late magical moments, and even a postgame celebration involving apple juice.
The night didn’t start easily for Philadelphia. Their flight to L.A. was delayed by mechanical issues, arriving at their hotel just a few hours before first pitch. Still, none of that held them back.
Kyle Schwarber opened the scoring with his team-leading 53rd home run to put the Phillies ahead early, but by the end of the sixth inning, the Dodgers led 3–1. In the bottom of the seventh, though, the Phillies’ lower order awoke: Otto Kemp hit a ground-rule double, Bryson Stott followed with a single, and Weston Wilson launched a two-run homer to center to flip the lead.
Yet the Dodgers weren’t done. Mookie Betts tied the game with a home run in the bottom of the seventh off reliever Orion Kerkering.
Then came Bryce Harper. In the eighth, he crushed a go-ahead homer into right-center that gave Philadelphia a 5–4 lead. The game stayed knotted until extra innings, when J.T. Realmuto added a sacrifice fly in the 10th to bring in a run, and David Robertson shut the door in the bottom half despite the bases being loaded.
Amid the exhilaration, Harper celebrated with teammates in typical fashion — and when the moment called for a toast, he made clear it was apple juice — “just in case my wife was watching,” he quipped, before joining in the clubhouse fun.
Philadelphia, now dominant in the NL East, believe this may be the year they go further. With their momentum, fan energy, and some clutch contributions from recent offseason additions, the team is looking forward to October with confidence.
