Philly Leader

The Phillies concluded their regular season with a 6-3 victory over the Nationals at Nationals Park on Sunday. This win secured them the second-best record in Major League Baseball (95-67), granting them home-field advantage in every postseason series except a potential National League Championship Series against the Dodgers, who hold MLB’s best record (98-64).

The Phillies will face either the No. 3-seeded Brewers or the No. 6-seeded Mets/Diamondbacks in the National League Division Series.

Manager Rob Thomson expressed concern about player health following a postseason clincher. “You worry about their health,” Thomson said. “Are you doing the right thing? I kind of stress. It’s always on my mind.”

Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola pitched 5 2/3 innings to nearly reach 200 for the season but was pulled after allowing a leadoff triple in the sixth inning, finishing with 199 1/3 innings. A tense moment occurred when Nationals catcher Drew Millas hit a line drive off Nola’s lower back, but Nola emerged unscathed. “Right in the back side of the love handle,” Nola said. “I got lucky on that one right there. It didn’t hit any bone.”

Nick Castellanos played his 162nd game of the season, becoming the first Phillies player to do so since Freddy Galvis in 2017 and starting all games since Jimmy Rollins in 2007. Fans acknowledged this milestone with signs reading “Congrats, Casty” and “162.” Castellanos remarked, “It’s pretty cool to say out loud... I want to play as much as possible, but I wouldn’t say it was a goal personally that I came up with.”

Thomson had encouraged Castellanos at the start of the season by asking him if he could play all games, which stuck with Castellanos despite early struggles. Thomson praised Castellanos’ commitment: “You don’t see it very much these days... He’s thriving.”

Austin Hays rejoined the team last Tuesday after recovering from a kidney infection but did not play over the weekend due to a sore back. Thomson is uncertain if Hays will be ready for Saturday's NLDS opener: "I mean, I hope so." If fit, Hays could platoon in left field against left-handed pitchers.

Kody Clemens made an impactful catch on Sunday to secure victory and improve his chances for postseason inclusion: "It would be amazing," Clemens said.

The Phillies optioned Tyler Gilbert and recalled Buddy Kennedy due to injuries affecting Hays and Johan Rojas (illness). Gilbert is now ineligible for NLDS selection.

Seven players worked out at Triple-A Lehigh Valley last week and will join Gilbert this week for an intrasquad game at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday.