Phillies Can Clinch Playoff Berth With Help From Rockies

Sep 22, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh (16) celebrates his RBI double during the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Phillies Can Clinch Playoff Berth With Help From Rockies

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Sep 23, 2026 12:00 PM ET

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The Philadelphia Phillies kicked off their series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night and were able to secure a big win for the team. Now, they are right on the doorstep of clinching a playoff spot.

It was a great night for the Phillies, who began their series against the Brewers. As Milwaukee continues to try and get the best record in the National League, they are focused on still trying to win.

For Philadelphia, while making the playoffs seems likely, they are in a tight race for the top spot in the wild card. On Tuesday, they got a decent performance from Zack Wheeler, who was able to go 5.2 innings, while allowing three runs and striking out 10 batters.

Coming in after him, the bullpen was really strong for Philadelphia in this one. While Jhoan Duran did allow a run in the ninth inning, the team was able to get him the ball with the lead. That is certainly an area in which the team has had some concerns about, but on Tuesday, things looked good.

Furthermore, the offense scoring six runs is also a recipe for success. Brandon Marsh and Bryson Stott both had strong games, and when they are playing like they did on Tuesday, this lineup looks a lot better. Now, on Wednesday, the team will have a chance to finally clinch a playoff berth.

Phillies Have Chance to Clinch

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The scenario in which Philadelphia can clinch a playoff berth is a fairly simple one. The Phillies will have to beat the Brewers once again and then they will also need the Colorado Rockies to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks.

With the magic number for the team being at two, a win and a Diamondbacks loss would result in them officially being headed to October.

While clinching the playoff berth will be the first step, the Phillies also find themselves in a three-way tie with the Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres for the top wild card spot.

Philadelphia would love to get home field advantage in the wild card round, as that comes with some massive value. Furthermore, with five games left, it would be nice if the Phillies could set up their rotation a bit and make sure that either Wheeler or Sanchez is able to pitch in the first game of a wild card series. Currently, Wheeler is scheduled for the last game of the season, making the strategy of what Philadelphia might do interesting.

Overall, the Phillies are in a great position to make the playoffs with the magic number being at two. However, their goals should be a bit higher right now.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Phillies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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