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It’s hard to believe the Phillies are celebrating an NL East title for the fifth straight year. It feels like just yesterday that Brett Myers tossed his glove in the air to clinch the Phillies' first NL East crown.
In case they are all starting to blend together, let’s take a walk down memory lane for each of the Phillies 4 previous NL East clinchers.
Phillies 2007 NL East clincher
Trailing the Mets by 7 games on September 12, the Phillies became part of one of the greatest comebacks (and worst collapses) in baseball history. The Phillies found themselves tied with the Mets entering the final day and faced three possibilities: celebrate an NL East title, force a 1 game playoff with the Mets, or lose the division outright and go home.
When the Phillies finally took the field on that Sunday afternoon, the Mets were already down 7-0 as Tom Glavine experienced a complete meltdown.
Now it was the Phillies' turn. Jimmy Rollins wasted no time as he led off with a single, stole second base, moved to third on a Victorino groundout, and scored on a sac fly by Chase Utley. Jamie Moyer, who admitted later he spent the previous night battling a stomach virus, was given the crucial start. Moyer was terrific, giving up just one run in 5 1/3 innings.
Rollins was at it again with a 4-1 lead in the sixth. His two-run triple blew the game open and made Rollins the fourth player in MLB history with 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs, and 20 stolen bases in the same season.
Brett Myers pitched the ninth inning and struck out the final batter to clinch the NL East title. What a day!
Phillies 2008 NL East clincher
The Phillies may never surpass the excitement of the 2007 clincher, but 2008 was darn close. Up by just 1 game in the second-to-last game of the season, the Phillies needed a win to seal the division title. Jamie Moyer was again given the ball, and once again did his job, surrendering just one run in six innings of work.
With a 4-2 lead entering the ninth inning, Brad Lidge took the mound, looking to win the division and pitch an entire season with no blown saves. But the Nationals made it 4-3 with runners at first and third and franchise player Ryan Zimmerman at the plate. A sac fly and the game would be tied, Lidge’s perfect season would be finished, and possibly no world championship.
But Zimmerman helped make all of those scenarios meaningless, hitting a hard grounder up the middle. Cheating that way, Rollins made a diving stop, tossed it to Utley, who threw it to Howard to clinch the game and the division.
As one reporter described it, the play went "from Rollins, to Utley, to history."
Phillies 2009 NL East clincher
The Phillies 2009 NL East clincher lacked the drama of the prior two seasons, as they clinched much earlier in game 158. But the 2009 clincher had its share of intrigue, as the winning pitcher on the final day was Pedro Martinez. And the Phillies once again clinched at home and this time had a chance to rest their players.
Phillies 2010 NL East clincher
The Phillies finished with the best record in baseball in 2010 and clinched the division with 5 games to go. Roy Halladay took the mound as he eyed his first postseason action in his career. Halladay made sure this was Clinch Day and pitched a complete game shutout. Who knew his next start would be better, pitching a no-hitter in Game 1 of the NLDS.
And here we are in 2011 with the division wrapped up with twelve games to go. This one was just a formality, but hopefully it is the first of 4 celebrations. |
