Philly Leader

Nick Castellanos expressed his satisfaction with the Phillies' sweep of the Rays this week at Citizens Bank Park, culminating in a 3-2 victory on Wednesday. Despite playing without key players Alec Bohm and J.T. Realmuto for the entire series, and losing Kyle Schwarber midway due to an elbow injury, the team secured solid starting pitching and near-flawless bullpen performances, along with significant contributions from unexpected sources.

"I really liked how everybody did something to contribute every single night," said Castellanos, who hit a two-run homer in the first inning and scored the winning run in the sixth.

The Phillies now hold an eight-game lead over the Mets in the NL East with 16 games remaining. They could clinch their first division title next week if they perform well against the Mets this weekend. The rivals begin a three-game series on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.

"Nothing is done yet," Phillies manager Rob Thomson stated. "Until they put whatever they put next to your club -- the 'e' or the 'b' or whatever it is [to show a clinch on the standings page] -- until they put that there, nothing’s done. So we’ve got to keep going."

Several notable contributions led to Wednesday's win:

**Zack Wheeler:** Although Wheeler did not pitch his best game, he managed to keep the Phillies competitive by allowing two runs on four hits and three walks over six innings while striking out nine. He currently holds a 15-6 record with a 2.60 ERA and remains in contention for the NL Cy Young Award.

"It was a battle," Wheeler admitted. "Obviously, I didn’t have my best command and all that. I got through it."

Wheeler is scheduled for three more starts: Tuesday in Milwaukee, Sept. 22 in New York against the Mets, and Sept. 28 vs Washington.

**José Alvarado:** Following a challenging stretch earlier this season, Alvarado has shown resurgence since returning from Venezuela on Aug. 31. He has pitched five scoreless innings across five appearances since then.

"Just from the visual, it looks fantastic," Wheeler commented about Alvarado's performance.

Alvarado himself emphasized perseverance: "I never give up... It’s so much different just focusing on competing and not worrying too much about those things that you can’t control."

**The Supporting Cast:** Contributions also came from Buddy Kennedy and Kody Clemens with clutch ninth-inning plate appearances leading to Monday's walk-off victory; Cal Stevenson doubled to score two runs during Tuesday’s win; Weston Wilson’s swinging bunt single scored Castellanos from third base on Wednesday; catcher Aramis Garcia made crucial defensive plays including tagging out a runner at home plate and throwing out another potential tying run at second base.

Wilson highlighted player development: "It’s them putting trust in guys to come up in big situations. It’s helped guys flourish in those opportunities."