Yes, the Philadelphia Phillies are the NL East champions for the fourth consecutive year – and Halladay is heading to the playoffs for the first time. Fittingly, the right-hander helped seal the deal.
Halladay allowed only two hits to earn his 21st win with his fourth shutout and ninth complete game – all highs in the majors this season – and Werth drove in four runs, leading the Phillies to a 8-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Monday night, wrapping up the division with five games left ufabet.
Philadelphia Phillies are a major league best 20-5 in September.
They will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. They are hitting .289 with a .372 OBP and .832 OPS in September – all marks are tops in the majors. Their starting trio of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt – also called H2O – is a combined 13-1 with a 2.24 ERA in September.
One significant thought for anyone who doesn’t believe the Phillies are front-runners to reach the World Series: H2O are in line to start all but one game in the NLDS and NLCS.
“That’s the reason you want to come to a team like this. They know how to do it,” Halladay said. “It’s the coolest thing I’ve been a part of. It’s just the start, I think.”
Halladay (21-10) will be on the big stage of the playoffs for the first time in his 13th major league season, having played his entire career with the Toronto Blue Jays before being traded to Philadelphia last winter.
The normally stoic pitcher and 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner punched his glove with his pitching hand after striking out batter Danny Espinosa for the final out.
After the final out, Halladay instantly broke into a big smile, and the Phillies gathered in the middle of the diamond for hugs and high-fives. Thousands of red-clad, towel-waving Phillies fans in the crowd gave a standing ovation then began their last in a long series of chants of “Let’s go, Phillies!”
Looking to become the first team in 66 years to win three consecutive National League championships, the Phillies started this season strong, before injuries and an inconsistent offense took a toll. Six of Philadelphia’s eight regulars spent time on the disabled list, and nearly all saw their production decline. At one point, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino were absent during a nearly two-week stretch in August.
Unlike previous years, when they counted on a potent offense, the Phillies relied on outstanding pitching in 2010. Led by Halladay, Hamels and Oswalt, the starting rotation dominated, especially in September. Still, it was a much tougher road to the postseason than a year ago, when Philadelphia moved into first place for good on May 30, before eventually losing to the New York Yankees in the World Series.
The Phillies wrapped things up against the Nationals in 2007 and 2008, too; winning the World Series for the franchise’s second title. Now, the Phillies are making another run for a championship. They are -120 to win the National League Pennant and +150 to win the World Series.
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