Philly Leader

The Philadelphia Phillies' quest to clinch the National League East has returned to Philadelphia after a challenging series in New York. The team lost three out of four games against the Mets at Citi Field, including a narrow 2-1 defeat on Sunday night. This concluded a disappointing 2-5 road trip against potential postseason opponents.

Philadelphia now needs just one win to secure its first division title in 13 years, which could occur as early as Monday night against the Cubs at Citizens Bank Park. "It’s disappointing, but at the end of the day we can go home and win this thing in front of our own fans," said Phillies ace Zack Wheeler. "Start playing a little better once we get home and just try to win these next couple series and just go into the playoffs hot."

Sunday's loss also placed the Phillies a game behind the Dodgers (93-63) for the best record in the NL. The Phillies (92-64) maintain a three-game lead over the Brewers (89-67) for the No. 2 seed, effectively a four-game lead due to their season tiebreaker advantage.

In Sunday's game, Alec Bohm's two-out single scored Trea Turner, giving Philadelphia an early lead. However, J.T. Realmuto ended the inning by lining out with bases loaded. Kyle Schwarber nearly extended their lead with a deep hit that fell short on the warning track.

"I thought I hit it pretty good," Schwarber remarked. "It just didn’t get out."

Brandon Nimmo's leadoff home run in the sixth inning off Wheeler shifted momentum to New York. "I knew the pitch was a good pitch to hit," Wheeler commented. "Once he hit it, I knew he hit it well."

Wheeler allowed two runs over seven-plus innings, bringing his record to 16-7 with a 2.56 ERA.

The Phillies' offense struggled during this road trip, striking out 81 times and chasing more pitches outside of the strike zone than usual—35.2 percent compared to their season average of 29.9 percent through September 15.

"There were scouts from several postseason contenders at Citi Field all week," Schwarber noted regarding their offensive struggles.

Despite Bryson Stott’s efforts in stealing bases late in Sunday's game, including an unusual deflection off third base that kept him from advancing further, Philadelphia could not capitalize on these opportunities.

"We’re going to have to find a way," Schwarber stated about moving forward.