ARIES (March 21-April 19). You both say, “Let’s do it.” You hear permission to start and lead, while someone else imagines a careful plan and shared decisions. Before anyone moves, clarify who is leading, when you’ll begin and how much improvisation everyone can tolerate.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You both say, “We can share.” One person imagines equal ownership and open access, while the other means a temporary loan or occasional use. Clarify who owns what, who pays for upkeep, when each person can use it.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You both say, “I understand.” That could mean the person heard every word, sees your reasoning or agrees to what you proposed. Those are three different responses. Ask them to explain what they understood and what, if anything, comes next.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). You both say, “You can count on me.” One person hears a lasting promise; the other means they’ll help with this one problem. Ask what support is being offered, for how long and what they will need in return.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You both say, “Let’s create this together.” You may imagine two equal creative partners, while the other person expects one director and one supporter. Clarify who makes final choices, who performs the visible work and the division of credit and payment.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You both say, “I’ll take care of it.” One person may mean the immediate problem; the other may expect every related detail handled from now on. Define the task, the deadline and the desired result that means it’s finished.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You both say, “We’re together.” One person may imagine exclusivity and a future with milestones; the other may mean they enjoy the relationship as it stands. Ask what each person hopes for the commitment, and which possibilities remain open.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You both say, “I trust you.” You may hear an invitation to complete openness, while the other person still expects privacy in certain areas. Ask what each of you considers private, and what must be disclosed.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You both say, “Let’s go.” Is everyone packing for the same journey? You may picture a single trip with a return date, while your companion imagines the beginning of a quest. Discuss the destination, budget and duration.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You both say, “I’m committed.” One person may promise effort until the goal is reached; another may promise a set number of hours or months. Clarify the duration, each person’s responsibilities and how you will measure success.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You both say, “We’re on the same side.” It works if you agree on both the goal and the method. It doesn’t work if they support your goal and oppose your approach. Find out where your views divide.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You both say, “I’m here for you.” You may prepare to listen and offer comfort while the other person expects advice, action or rescue. Ask what kind of help they want before giving it. Agree on what being “here” really means.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Sept. 28). Your Year of the Mighty Ocean is characterized by expansiveness, mystery and constant motion. You are more powerful than you know and always in the perfect flow of life whether you are making waves or riding deeper currents. More highlights: Improved habits and vitality bring confidence in a variety of social settings. What you make touches people of all ages. A savvy investment pays out. Cancer and Scorpio adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 8, 20, 3, 31 and 16.
The glasses that Jesús Luzardo wears on the mound, and nowhere else, are one of his many superstitions.
The Phillies lefty has said in the past that they are nonprescription, and he only wears them because he has pitched poorly without them. Earlier this season, he shuffled through different walk-out songs — “Jesus Walks” by Kanye West, then “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac — as he went through a rough stretch of starts, finally settling on the Philly-centric “Dreams and Nightmares.” Like many starting pitchers, he’s precise about his routine.
So it seems almost paradoxical that a pitcher with customs like those would be able to adapt the way Luzardo did on Sunday. After not facing live hitters in 20 days, since his complete game against the Braves, Luzardo came out of the Phillies bullpen in the eighth inning.
He used four pitches, all sinkers, to get three straight groundouts, and push the Phillies closer to the 7-3 win over the Rays that officially clinched a wild-card berth.
“Adrenaline was definitely high, for sure,” Luzardo said in the champagne-soaked clubhouse postgame. He had traded his glasses for ski goggles.
Interim manager Don Mattingly wanted the lefty to face hitters before the postseason arrived, but he didn’t anticipate it to be in such a crucial moment in the season. Luzardo was placed on the injured list on Sept. 12 with shoulder inflammation, and had been shut down from throwing at all for a while.
Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (left) celebrates as Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (right) scores in the first inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler pitches in the second inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber hits an RBI double in the second inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (center) congratulates Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (right) after he scores on a Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber double in the second inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler pitches in the third inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (left) and Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (right) react after the umpire called Philadelphia Phillies Bryson Stott out as he tried to steal second base. After a review, Stott was ruled safe.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper watches his solo homer in the fifth inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper celebrates his solo homer in the fifth inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler pitches in the fifth inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhillies fans celebrate after Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott scores in the fifth inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies left fielder Edmundo Sosa celebrates his homer in the fifth inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto looks up at the rain as it falls late in the game.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies pitcher Jhoan Duran celebrates the final out against the Tampa Bay Rays.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies pitcher Jhoan Duran (left) and Edmundo Sosa (right) celebrate after advancing into the playoffs.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerA Phillies fan holds up a sign after the Phillies win to clinch a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies pose for a group photo after they clinched a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies walk off the field after clinching a playoff spot at Citizens Bank Park.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerBryce Harper and his teammates celebrate in the clubhouse after clinching a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerBryce Harper and his teammates celebrate in the clubhouse after clinching a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber celebrates in the clubhouse after clinching a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhillies Bryce Harper and his teammates celebrate in the clubhouse after clinching a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford celebrates in the clubhouse after clinching a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber celebrates in the clubhouse after clinching a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhillies catcher Garrett Stubbs celebrates in the clubhouse after clinching a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola smokes a cigar as the Phillies celebrate in the clubhouse after clinching a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Gradually, as the inflammation went down, he began playing catch and then threw an encouraging bullpen on Thursday. As the Phillies’ losing streak stretched on, the idea of Luzardo pitching in a simulated game became less likely as the they needed all hands on deck to save their season. He was officially activated from the injured list earlier on Sunday, the first day he was eligible.
“Today we needed Zeus, get those outs, get him on the field,” Mattingly said. “Make sure he’s good tomorrow. That’s a different intensity today than in the bullpen. We’ll see where it goes.”
Had the Phillies built an even bigger lead, Mattingly said he would have considered using Jonathan Bowlan as well. Bowlan is not on the injured list to preserve his eligibility for the wild-card roster, but has not pitched since Sept. 17 due to a groin strain.
Luzardo is also glad to get an outing, as short as it was, under his belt before the postseason begins Tuesday in Atlanta. He didn’t petition the Phillies coaching staff to go back out for the ninth, knowing it was tabbed for closer Jhoan Duran.
As for his role in the wild-card series, Luzardo said he’d be willing to do anything and take any role, be it relieving or even starting of the games.
“If you ask me, I say yes,” Luzardo said of starting this week. “It’s really up to the team, but I feel like I’m prepared to give the team whatever they ask, whatever they need.”
Video: Phillies celebrate clinching a fifth-consecutive postseason berth
He’s viewing the playoffs as a fresh start, both for him and his injury, as well as for the team as a whole.
“You play 162 games for a reason. I think this team has what it takes, and we obviously showed it throughout a full season,” he said. “I don’t think the last four days are indicative of what we can do. I think today was.”
On the mound Sunday, Luzardo was still wearing his glasses, and Meek Mill was still playing. But nothing else was the same. He didn’t get to do his pre-start routine. He had to pause and clean his cleats before throwing his first pitch because the rain had turned the mound into mud.
But none of that was going to rattle him.
“I think the circumstances change a little bit,” Luzardo said. “So superstitions kind of go out of the window.”
They haven’t avoided disaster yet. For now, all they have done is postpone it.
That’s a good thing, of course. Much better than the alternative. The Phillies arrived at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday with a chance to irrevocably damage their legacy by completing one of the must sudden and improbable late-season collapses in baseball history. In avoiding that fate, they looked a lot like the team that set a standard they’ve so consistently fallen short of. They scored early, and they scored often, with contributions up and down the lineup. The Phillies’ 7-3 win over the Rays was the kind of performance we once expected from this team in October. The confounding thing is that they needed it just to get there.
All we can say right now is that their destiny is back in their hands. They will determine the final words that end up written about these last 10 days. Were they a harbinger? Or were they a rallying point? They will decide.
It would be lovely to say that the Phillies are exactly where we thought they’d be. That, after all the drama, after the four straight losses, and the six in eight games, after the Aaron Nola start on two days’ rest, and the three runs scored in 36 innings, after all of that, all that really matters is that the Phillies are in the playoffs and that the calendar starts anew.
It would be even lovelier to say that there could be some upside in the way they ended up earning their playoff spot. J.T. Realmuto was 0-for-34 before he yoked an RBI double to left field in the second inning to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. Bryce Harper hadn’t homered in 12 games before crushing a solo shot to right field in the fifth to put the Phillies up 5-1. Every member of the lineup either reached base or had an RBI. In their final tuneup before the playoffs, everything worked the way it was supposed to. If it really does matter who the hottest team is this time of year, and if you are only as good as your last game, well, who is hotter than the Phillies right now?
The Phillies’ Edmundo Sosa celebrates his homer in the fifth inning.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
That’s not reality, of course.
Not with Chris Sale looming.
Not with Zack Wheeler unavailable to start a game against the Braves on normal rest.
Not with Don Mattingly’s options to counter Sale in Game 1 limited to inconsistent rookie Andrew Painter and possibly a rusty Jesús Luzardo fresh off the injured list.
The Phillies entered the final week of the regular season with a chance to set themselves up for success in October. They could have been where the Padres are, hosting a best-of-three wild-card series on their home turf. They could be playing a team whose No. 1 starter has not held them to seven runs in 32 innings over his last five starts. They could have Wheeler on the mound in Game 1 instead of some combination of inconsistent rookie Painter and fresh-off-the-injured-list Luzardo.
The Phillies don’t have any of that. Which means they could still end up paying a steep price for the late-season swoon that saw them enter Sunday with a chance at completing the most (mathematically) dramatic collapse in the city’s history.
Most consequential is the lack of Wheeler. Against the Rays on Sunday, the 35-year-old veteran was exactly the pitcher you should have expected. With the Phillies needing a win in Game 162 to clinch a playoff spot, Wheeler held Tampa Bay to one run in six innings with five strikeouts and a walk. He threw an efficient 97 pitches, 68 of them for strikes. It was the perfect performance in the perfect spot.
Now, imagine if that spot had been Game 1 against the Braves instead of Game 162 against a Rays team with little to play for.
It will be a shame if Sunday was the last we saw of Wheeler this season. If it is, the Phillies will have only themselves to blame.
They need to win two more games in order to fully erase the disaster they’ve been over the last week-plus. With Game 1 in Atlanta slated for Tuesday, they still must win two more games just to get to the month of October.
Time has never been so precious at the Academy of Natural Sciences. The clock is officially ticking on Philly’s nearly 200-year-old palace of prehistoric marvels and natural wonders — the oldest natural history museum in the Western Hemisphere, and treasured playland of my six year old, who, like centuries of children, imagines that the old bones are just waiting to roar to life.
The Academy’s museum closed to the public an hour ago. It’s last day operation is slated for Wednesday.
It didn’t have to be this way.
Friday saw an eleventh-hour Raiders of the lost Ark-style rescue attempt of the beloved, if aging museum, which was founded in 1828 and first opened on Benjamin Franklin Parkway in 1876.
That last second whipcrack came in the form of philanthropic millions from the William Penn Foundation, one of the largest and most influential funders of arts and culture in the region. The money would allow the endangered institution to stay open for at least a year, so that a long-term solution to preserve the museum — and its treasured specimen collections — in Philadelphia could be explored.
But instead of taking the final leap Indy-style before the floor drops out on the museum, Drexel offered a tepid statement saying it had yet to see a proposal that offered a “permanent, sustainable path forward for the academy’s museum.”
Why?
My colleagues Peter Dobrin and Sue Snyder previously reported that Drexel University and the Academy plan to relocate the institution’s 19 million specimens and sell the building on Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Behind the scenes, sources say Drexel, more than $20 million in debt and suffering shrinking enrollment, has wanted the building off its books for more than a year. The cash-strapped school, according to my source, had kept the museum’s potential shuttering quiet for months
On Friday, David L. Cohen, the big-league fixer negotiating talks between Drexel and the Academy at the behest of Gov. Josh Shapiro, told the Inquirer that do-gooders should save their checks until a new museum space can be found. Otherwise, they’re merely “Band-Aids,” he said.
But Band-Aids is where Drexel and the Academy have gotten us.
In the current equation, Philly threatens to lose a treasure trove — and a treasured space. Memories can be fickle. But few school children forget their first awe-inspiring, imagination-fueling face-to-face with a towering T-Rex, or even a frightening fiberglass replica like the Academy’s. A first class city demands a lot of things — but it should definitely include a dino museum.
And Philly agrees. Resistance had already been real. A petition to keep the Academy open to visitors — its research work will continue — grows well over 100,000 signatures. Nor-easter gusts and rains did little to dampen the emotions of thousands of museum supporters who braved weekend rallies and vigils.
City Council has thrown its trowel into the fray. Councilmembers Nina Ahmad and Jeffrey Young Jr. will lead oversight hearings — with subpoena powers — on the museum closure.
There’s more than enough blame. Plagued by its own rising deficits, Drexel — which once optimistically described the merger as a “Dragosaurus,” a play on its dragon mascot — came to see the academy as just a drag.
Meanwhile, the museum failed to launch a capital campaign or meaningfully modernize. Attendance more than halved.
Late last year — when according to a source Drexel and the Academy were already discussing a potential closure — Academy officials were exploring possibly sharing eons of natural treasures with a museum in Cleveland or Abu Dhabi.
And not a peep to the public.
Drexel and Academy board members say they want to keep the Academy in Philadelphia. But it’s hard to have faith. Not when Drexel recently had its financial rating downgraded by Moody’s — and not when the best anyone could come up with was Cleveland. Not when lifelines that would keep the museum doors open for city schoolchildren are dismissed as “Band-Aids.”
For now, the clock ticks even as pre-pandemic crowds flooded the museum on it’s last days, proof that many Philadelphians still expect some Paleozoic Era fun in their lives.
Time was a theme among the museum’s final visitors. Marie Gilbert, who is 80, once managed the Academy’s Changing Exhibits Hall. Nine of her grandchildren have volunteered at the museum. Her great grandson, Landon, who is 6, and diagnosed with rare cancer, is the family’s biggest fan.
He loves to lose himself amid the ancient bones and lifelike tableaus. For the boy, the museum serves as a time machine, she said. When I met her last Thursday, Gilbert said she had held off on telling him the museum would be closing. “I have hope,” she said.
But not anymore. I called her a few minutes after hundreds of visitors and families processed solemnly out the museum door one final time, while protesters chanted in the rain.
“My hope has been crushed,” she said.
The Week Ahead: the politics of Krasner
It may take many months before law enforcement officials decide whether District Attorney Larry Krasner broke federal laws while overseeing a controversial post-conviction case. For those who need one, a recap: Earlier this month, a federal judge — the same stern arbiter who dispatched former District Attorney Seth Williams to the big house for half a decade — said Krasner may have committed crimes, like perjury, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice. Now, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will investigate, with some testimony coming from within Krasner’s own office. A polarizing reformer and pugilist happy to portray himself as a political outsider, claims the criminal referral is motivated by Trump’s Justice Department.
But as my colleague Anna Orso pointed out, Philly politics awaits no verdict, and questions have already emerged about Krasner’s political future, and possible mayoral run in 2027. Sniffing blood, at least two elected Democratic have scoped out potential replacements if Krasner were to get forced from office, Orso reports. It will be interesting to watch in the coming days how many Democrats break their silence to support Krasner — or, whether, with only eight months before May’s primary election, heavyweights, like Councilmember Kendra Brooks, announce mayoral runs.
One More Thing
Mercifully, the rare nor’easter that walloped the Jersey Shore with heavy rain and flooding over weekend — but only caused minor disruption in Philly Sunday — looks to be heading out of the region overnight, forecasters say. Showers may continue into early Monday, and it may take days for Shore floodwaters to recede, so pack an umbrella tomorrow — and say a quick prayer for the beaches.
In less than 72 hours, the puck will drop on the Flyers’ 2026-27 season, and all signs are pointing to goalie and reigning team MVP Dan Vladař being ready to go.
After spending almost an hour on the ice Saturday during the team’s optional skate, Vladař was a full participant in Sunday’s practice.
“I wouldn’t say he’s 100%, but he’s very hopeful,” coach Rick Tocchet said.
“Pretty spirited practice, and he made it through; he seemed like he looked good to me,” he added. “So we’ll see — we’ve got [65] hours, so we’ll see.”
If you needed another sign that Vladař is ready, the Flyers loaned Aleksei Kolosov to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on Sunday.
“It looks very promising. [Vladař] should be ready for Game 1,” said general manager Danny Brière during Saturday’s preseason finale. “Probably could have played if we had played a regular-season [game] tonight, but we just want to play it safe and let him get as close to 100% for the start of the regular season.”
All signs are pointing to goalie and reigning team MVP Dan Vladař being ready to go for the season opener.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Vladař’s status for the lid lifter Wednesday at Xfinity Mobile Arena against the Penguins (7:30 p.m., TNT, truTV) was more uncertain after last Tuesday’s preseason game in Boston. The 29-year-old goaltender left in the first period after allowing a deflection goal by Michael Eyssimont.
Before Eyssimont scored, Vladař had mishandled a dump-in and was spread down with his arms extended on the ice when Tanner Jeannot crashed the net for the rebound. It didn’t look like there was significant contact between Jeannot’s leg and Vladař, but the netminder let go of his stick immediately and appeared to be holding his right arm before Eyssimont scored.
The Czech goalie did not see any other preseason action and is still technically day to day with an upper-body injury.
Back in a new York groove
The Flyers power play is expected to get some runway, allowing time to gel and build trust. However, there was already a tinker Sunday: Cam York was on the second power-play unit in place of David Jiříček.
Tocchet tried to deflect, saying it’s all part of the process of building up the power play. But Brière said after the first intermission Saturday that Jiříček “played OK” thus far. That was before he was on the ice for two goals against, the second off a direct turnover in the defensive zone by him.
“We’re trying to figure out a few things,” Tocchet said. “When you put power plays together, you’ve got to try different things, experiment, and then there’s people trying to get spots. So that can amp a power play into getting better, is when there’s competition.”
Tocchet stressed that Jiříček and Jamie Drysdale, who is on the first power-play unit, are in the mix with York but noted that “Yorkie looked pretty good,” and “he was one of the better guys of moving the puck.”
York famously didn’t get a real chance to play the power play under former coach John Tortorella despite being a key cog on the man advantage at the U.S. National Team Development Program and the University of Michigan. Looking forward to the opportunity last season under a new coaching staff, he started on the power play, linking up with Trevor Zegras several times. But as the season wore on, his time dwindled.
Tocchet said a main reason for the drop was that York was also penalty killing and playing big minutes at five-on-five. He wasn’t sure that they wanted York to play all these minutes. The bench boss did notice the work the Californian put into his shot over the summer.
The blueliner told The Inquirer on Tuesday that he worked on his footwork and hands while also building his upper-body strength in the gym this summer. “I want to have five shots a game, if possible,” he added.
“Love it,” Tocchet said when told that was York’s goal.
So does the coach see a difference in the 25-year-old’s game?
“It’s the footwork,” Tocchet said. “His attacking, and he’s not deferring. Like I felt a lot of our D would, they get the middle, there’s shots to be taken, but for whatever reason they would defer to the flankers to the [guys out] wide.
“He just said five shots, right? Hopefully other guys are thinking the same way. If you do that, then all of a sudden, say you’re getting 25 shots a game, we’re getting 31, and now some action can happen. So, I think he’s just listening from the coaches over the summer [about] what we want. We need more shots and shots on net. … So I’m glad Yorkie’s saying that.”
Breakaways
Tocchet provided an update on forwards Denver Barkey and Nikita Grebenkin after neither player was on the ice for practice. “They’re both kind of day to day,” he said. “Barks is getting a little bit better every day, and Grebby, a little banged up after last game, is working on a couple of little things.” He said Grebenkin’s current injury is not related to the upper-body injury he sustained in March that kept him out of the lineup for the rest of the season. … The Flyers announced the signing of Garrett Wilson to a one-year, two-way contract with an average annual value of $850,000. Wilson, named the Flyers’ nomination for the 2026 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy by the Philadelphia chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, was signed to a two-way contract for the remainder of last season in March. He was originally under an AHL-only deal for this season.
Bryce Harper might’ve been the first to say it sometime around the middle of June. Or maybe it was Trea Turner. Either way, it became a motto amid the vomit-inducing ups and downs of the last few months.
Just get us in.
So, here were the Phillies on Sunday, at the end of a week from hell, with a nor’easter blowing through town, needing to win one stinkin’ game after losing four in a row to punch a ticket for tournament baseball and avoid entering the barroom debate over the worst collapse in franchise history.
“Everything resets, you know?” Harper said, as Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” kicked off a sudsy, smoky clubhouse celebration after a 7-3 victory over the Rays that felt more like a collective exhale. “You get into October, everything resets.”
Indeed, nothing that happened over the last six months matters anymore. Not the 9-19 start that got the first manager fired. Not the late-summer surge that began in an Iowa cornfield. And certainly not the 9-14 finish that threatened to unravel it all.
The Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber celebrates in the clubhouse after clinching a playoff spot on Sunday.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
So, Game 1 of the best-of-three wild-card series begins at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Atlanta. And that’s just fine with the Phillies, who got showered with boos all week before finally cracking open the booze.
Make no mistake: They noticed. Just like they noticed how the mood in the ballpark turned when Bryson Stott lined a two-out RBI double in the first inning to give the Phillies their first lead since … checks notes… Tuesday — and the fans a reason to finally clap.
“That was one of our better crowds, I thought,” interim manager Don Mattingly said, beer goggles pressed to his forehead. “You don’t hear a lot of ‘Let’s Go Phillies’ at our games. It’s just waiting for things, right? And it would be great if it would be an uplifting type of scenario.
“In the Milwaukee series, somebody makes an out in the fourth with a guy on base, and it’s like a boo. And I know it’s the fans’ right to do it. But you can either lift up or you can hold down, and if you lift the team up, you’ve got a chance.”
Excuse Mattingly. He’s still new here, having just capped his first season with the Phillies. He got hired to be the bench coach and wound up replacing the fired Rob Thomson on April 28.
Mattingly is less familiar, then, with the narrative that has trailed the core of a team that has stayed largely intact since the unexpected World Series run in 2022. The Phillies backslid in each successive October, from the Game 7 loss at home in the 2023 NL Championship Series to last year’s divisional round loss to the Dodgers.
Video: Phillies celebrate clinching a fifth-consecutive postseason berth
So, here’s Harper upon being asked about the Phillies making a fifth consecutive postseason appearance for only the second time in their 144-year history: “Yeah, I mean, you wouldn’t think that with everybody’s opinion of us.”
If you sense a chip on his shoulder, well, maybe that’s not such a bad thing … now that the Phillies are in, of course, after a lot of folks thought they were Dead Men Walking.
“We’re the type of team that, we don’t care the people’s opinions of us or what they think or what anybody thinks about our team,” Harper continued. “Obviously we didn’t play the best baseball we could in September. Should we have clinched two weeks ago? Probably, right? But we didn’t. We clinched today, and that’s how the story is written right now.”
Zack Wheeler pitches in the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
They wrote a happy ending in Game 162 because …
Zack Wheeler gave up one run in six innings after the game was moved up by a half-hour to begin in drier conditions, and Jesús Luzardo returned from the injured list and got three outs on four pitches in the eighth.
J.T. Realmuto broke an 0-for-34 spell with an RBI double in the second inning after being dropped to ninth in the order for the first time in his career.
Kyle Schwarber scorched a two-run double in the second inning, belly-flopped into second base and, in a rare display of on-field emotion, screamed to the dugout, “Let’s go!”
Oh, and Harper fouled off a slider, fastball, sinker, and splitter in succession before lining a 111.6-mph missile into the right-field bleachers in the fifth inning.
Indeed, the Phillies pulled through because they were led by the stars of their $320 million roster.
“This was what it was supposed to be today,” Mattingly said. “For whatever reason, this was how it was supposed to happen for the 2026 Phillies. Again, I think just getting in is the key, right?”
“Look,” said John Middleton, who was 9 years old during the Phillies’ epic collapse in 1964, “I did know the possibility that we wouldn’t get in. But I wasn’t particularly worried about it.”
Why not?
“I still maintain we are the best pitching staff in Major League Baseball,” said Middleton, wearing the standard issue red T-shirt and shorts and holding googles just in case. “Better than the Dodgers. Better than anybody else. And that’s particularly true with Luzardo back and healthy. I think our hitting could be really good.
“We kind of snuck in in ‘22. We didn’t necessarily sneak in here. We weren’t playing well at the end. But we know how to play well, and we played really well today.”
The Phillies walk off the field after clinching a playoff spot on Sunday at Citizens Bank Park.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
If the Phillies play well in Atlanta, they might actually make it back home to see their fans again. The Braves won the NL East over them by six games and went 9-4 against them in the regular season.
It’s all irrelevant now. The Phillies got in. If they write their legacies over the next month, nobody will care that it took them 162 games to get there.
“Nothing that happened during the regular season matters anymore,” Harper said. “As a team, as a group, we’ve just got to go in, play the best baseball we can, get hot for the next couple weeks.
“We’ve never finished the job. So, we’ve got to do that.”
Residents, police, and elected officials gathered in an Olney house of worship Sunday afternoon to discuss how the investigation into the infamous “house of horrors” down the street would play out in the coming weeks.
“You’re going to see a lot of equipment,” Philadelphia Police Homicide Unit Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom said.
Ransom alsotold the crowd of about 100 inside the Olney Baptist Church that there could bea large police presence around the home of the late Raymond “R.C.” Horsch on West Chew Avenue on Monday and Tuesday. But he declined to say exactly what investigators would be doing there.
Police leadership leave Olney Baptist Church on Chew Avenue on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, after a community meeting organized by the Philadelphia Police Department ahead of another planned search of the home of Raymond “R.C.” Horsch a few blocks away.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Horsch, who died last year at 82, ran a drug, sex, and porn operation out of the three-story, brick twin home. He left behind more than a million photos and videos in a vast digital archive,which investigators believe shows real and staged violence, and, possibly, murders.
Horsch is now linked to at least seven missing women.
“This is still a very active and ongoing investigation,” First Deputy Commissioner John Stanford told the crowd.
Starting on Oct. 5, police said they will be bringing in “heavy”equipment onto the 400 block of Chew Avenue.
Police declined to say more about the kind ofequipment or what exactly they would be looking for. Even though the investigation would focus primarily on Horsch’s home, Ransom said there would be street closures — mostly during daytime hours — and parking restrictions through Oct. 16.
Residents would still be allowed in and out of their homes, Ransom said, but cars that weren’t moved during the restricted hours would be towed to a neighboring street.
“We will not be ticketing cars,” he said.
Ransom said fliers would be posted in the neighborhood before Oct. 5 with more details about the parking restrictions.
“It’s going to be a large project,” Ransom said.
When asked whether the operation would be concluded by Oct. 16, police said it could take longer.
“I do wanna say to you, just for the purpose of being able to manage expectations, think in your mind that this is probably gonna be the month of October,” Stanford said.
Residents didn’t probe for too many details about the investigation, mostly asking about logistics, crowds, social media influencers lingering around the area, and the future of Horsch’s dilapidated home.
“Hopefully, when you’re finished, you’ll tear it down,” resident Alice Hunter said.
One local business owner, who declined to identify himself to a reporter, expressed concern aboutthe street closures affecting his business.
“I lost a ton,” the man said of investigation-related disruptions.
Residents were also apprehensive about the “lore” surrounding the case, both locally and beyond, telling police that “TikTokers” are coming to take photos and videos of the Horsch home.
“You have the social media folks, people on YouTube-ers, just coming and taking photos and what not,” resident Sarah Duncan said. “That can be a disruption and alarm some of the kids.”
During the meeting, a lone police cruiser sat outside Horsch’s home. Stanford said residents should expect to see a cruiser there indefinitely.
Police remain outside the home of Raymond “R.C.” Horsch on Chew Avenue on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, while a few blocks away residents were attending a community meeting organized by the Philadelphia Police Department ahead of another planned search of the home.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
On a clear June evening in Washington earlier this year, the Phillies were down to their final strike of the game. Improbably, unbelievably, they pulled off an eight-run comeback anyway. A night later, they did it again, needing only two runs that time.
On an August night in Anaheim, Calif., there were two outs in the ninth when Edmundo Sosa hit a go-ahead grand slam.
The Phillies have failed many times this year. There have been cold spells, blown leads, perplexing errors, and losing streaks, though none more humiliating than the four straight they lost last week. But they have also pulled off the unlikely. And so perhaps it was fitting that in the 11th hour of their season, in Game 162, the offense at last woke from its slumber.
In Sunday’s 7-3 win over the Rays, with big-game pitcher Zack Wheeler on the mound, the Phillies finally finished the task. In the final game of the regular season, with rain pouring the entire time, they secured the last National League wild-card spot. They will now head to Atlanta for the best-of-three series that begins on Tuesday with Game 1 at 2 p.m.
“Whatever happens, wherever we gotta go, if you’re good enough to win it all, you gotta beat everybody,” said interim manager Don Mattingly.
In the batting cages before the game, Trea Turner and a few teammates mused that they had never played in a Game 162 that truly mattered before. In years past, their teams had either been already in, or completely out of the playoffs by the time they reached the end of their regular-season schedule.
Zack Wheeler gave up one run in six innings against the Rays on Sunday. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
“You gotta do what you gotta do,” Turner said. “You gotta find a way in, and at times this year we didn’t play well, but we played good enough to sneak in. And now, it’s just trying to move on.”
Bryce Harper and Edmundo Sosa each hit a homer, after the offense had gone 47 consecutive innings without one. The Phillies did the little things, too: stole bases, moved runners with a sacrifice bunt, scored with sacrifice flies. In the end,they had 12 hits, and eight of nine starters reached base at least once. They only struck out five times.
J.T. Realmuto had one of the biggest swings after Mattingly dropped the catcher to ninth in the order for the first time in his career. As his slump reached 0-for-34 in the Phillies’ embarrassing 12-1 loss on Saturday, Realmuto said plainly that he had been letting his teammates down.
He didn’t let it go any further. With two out in the second inning and Sosa on second after hitting his own double, Realmuto hit a line drive to left field. Sure, it was misread by Victor Mesa Jr., who got turned around, but at 110.5 mph off the bat it was a solid piece of contact, and it gave the Phillies an early 2-0 lead.
“You knew that every run you get when you got Wheeler out there is important,” Mattingly said. “You get a run early, it takes a little pressure off early.”
Trea Turner advanced Realmuto to third with a single, before Kyle Schwarber ripped a 116.8 mph laser off the right-field wall to score two. As he got to second base standing up, Schwarber turned back to his dugout and let out a roar and a fist pump, in a rare display of intense emotion from the 33-year-old.
Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (left) celebrates as Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (right) scores in the first inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler pitches in the second inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber hits an RBI double in the second inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (center) congratulates Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (right) after he scores on a Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber double in the second inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler pitches in the third inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (left) and Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (right) react after the umpire called Philadelphia Phillies Bryson Stott out as he tried to steal second base. After a review, Stott was ruled safe.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper watches his solo homer in the fifth inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper celebrates his solo homer in the fifth inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler pitches in the fifth inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhillies fans celebrate after Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott scores in the fifth inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies left fielder Edmundo Sosa celebrates his homer in the fifth inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto looks up at the rain as it falls late in the game.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies pitcher Jhoan Duran celebrates the final out against the Tampa Bay Rays.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies pitcher Jhoan Duran (left) and Edmundo Sosa (right) celebrate after advancing into the playoffs.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerA Phillies fan holds up a sign after the Phillies win to clinch a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies pose for a group photo after they clinched a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies walk off the field after clinching a playoff spot at Citizens Bank Park.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerBryce Harper and his teammates celebrate in the clubhouse after clinching a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerBryce Harper and his teammates celebrate in the clubhouse after clinching a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber celebrates in the clubhouse after clinching a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhillies Bryce Harper and his teammates celebrate in the clubhouse after clinching a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford celebrates in the clubhouse after clinching a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber celebrates in the clubhouse after clinching a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhillies catcher Garrett Stubbs celebrates in the clubhouse after clinching a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola smokes a cigar as the Phillies celebrate in the clubhouse after clinching a playoff spot.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
“We’re in the cages early. Guys are taking ground balls. Pitchers are doing what they need to do,” Schwarber said. “We’re preparing on a daily basis for these opportunities, and we find our way in. And now it’s the same thing. We get down there, we prepare, do our work, and get ready to go.”
How the Phillies will line up their pitching against the Braves for the wild-card series remains to be seen. Mattingly declined to announce his starter for Tuesday’s Game 1 in the celebratory postgame clubhouse. The collapse of the last week still casts a long shadow, as they were forced to burn Wheeler to extend their season beyond Sunday.
The right-hander rose to the occasion in his biggest start of the year, holding the Rays to one run over six innings to give his offense time to work.
Wheeler struck out the side in the first inning, one swinging and two looking, to set the tone. He worked around traffic, allowing five hits, but struck out five and didn’t walk a batter. He also took matters into his own hands defensively on occasion, catching a pop fly and fielding a grounder, too.
“I love pitching in these big games,” Wheeler said. “I mean, I just tried to give the best I could today.”
The Phillies pose for a group photo after they clinched a playoff spot on Sunday.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
The 36-year-old finished his comeback regular season with a 3.00 ERA in 162 innings. A year ago, there were external questions about whether Wheeler would ever be himself again on the mound after undergoing thoracic outlet decompression surgery. But he never doubted it.
Wheeler’s day, and regular season, was finished after 97 pitches, with Alex McFarlane taking over in relief for the seventh. The righty had a comfortable lead, but gave up two runs on Jonny DeLuca’s second homer of the day and a ground-rule double, followed by a single off Alec Bohm’s glove at first base. He ended the inning with a pop fly.
As Jesús Luzardo worked his way back from the shoulder stiffness that landed him on the injured list on Sept. 12, Mattingly hoped to have him face hitters at some point in the process. He didn’t envision those hitters to be in the eighth inning of a must-win game, but that was another consequence of the Phillies’ recent slide.
Video: Phillies celebrate clinching a fifth-consecutive postseason berth
Luzardo had a four-run cushion as he jogged out to the mound. Mattingly had said pregame that while the lefty’s recent bullpen session had gone well, there was still a question of how he would look in a real game.
It turned out, quite strong. Luzardo needed just four pitches — all fastballs — to retire the side with three straight groundouts.
Then, he passed the baton in the ninth to closer Jhoan Duran, who struck out Cedric Mullins and Nick Fortes to send the Phillies to the playoffs for the fifth straight year.
This week wasn’t pretty. But it still ended in a jubilant clubhouse, with that protective plastic finally unfurled, cans of beer strewn about and cigar smoke in the air. The Phillies are viewing this, and what awaits Tuesday, as an opportunity to wipe the slate clean.
“I think all of us feel like we can play better. I know I can play better,” Turner said. “At this point in the year, really for the last month or two, it’s just about winning. That’s all that matters. I don’t care if I play well, Bryce, Kyle, the bullpen, the starters. It doesn’t matter who plays well. It matters if you win or lose. And I think that’s how we’re all looking at it.”
The Phillies are officially heading back to the MLB playoffs, though it feels more like avoiding a disaster than something to be celebrated.
Philly clinched the National League’s final wild-card spot by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays7-3 at a dreary, storm-soaked Citizens Bank Park.
It took 162 games for the Phillies to punch their ticket to the postseason, a trip that seemed all-but-wrapped up just last week. Bryce Harper and company had a five-game lead with eight games to play, but at least the team avoided an epic collapse on par with the 1964 Phillies, who blew a 6½-game lead with 12 games to play.
The 9-19 start that resulted in the firing of manager Rob Thomson and the initial revival under Don Mattingly.
A skid after the All-Star break and a surge that began in an Iowa cornfield.
The 8-14 finish that put them on the brink of collapse.
That’s now just the backstory as the Phillies prepare for their fifth-straight postseason run.
Here’s everything we know about the Phillies’ playoff schedule, wild-card opponent, and how to get playoff tickets if they manage to escape the wild-card round and end up back at Citizens Bank Park.
This will be updated as more information becomes available.
Phillies wild-card opponent will be the Braves
Braves ace Chris Sale dominated the Phillies this season.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Phillies ending up with the final wild-card means they’ll be traveling south to face the Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta.
Philadelphia went 4-9 against Atlanta this season, and lost its most recent series a couple week ago.
The good news is the Phillies have had a fair amount of playoff success against the Braves in recent years. In both 2022 and 2023, the Phillies defeated the Braves in the National League divisional series, despite Atlanta having home-field advantage both years.
MLB playoffs: 2026 Wild Card TV schedule
Phillies announcers Tom McCarthy (left) and John Kruk will call wild-card games for NBC. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
The wild-card round of the MLB playoffs is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.
This year it jumps from ESPN to NBC, and Phillies fans will hear a familiar voice — NBC Sports Philadelphia announcer John Kruk, who will serve as an analyst alongside C.J. Nitkowski and play-by-play announcer Matt Vasgersian. Joey Votto will also join the broadcast as an in-stadium analyst.
Tom McCarthy, the TV voice for the Phillies, will call the other National League wild-card series between the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres.
Here’s the wild-card TV schedule:
Tuesday, Sept. 29
Phillies at Braves: 2 p.m. on NBC
White Sox at Astros: 5 p.m. on NBCSN
Red Sox at Yankees: 8 p.m. on NBC
Cubs at Padres: 9:30 p.m. on NBCSN
Wednesday, Sept. 30
Phillies at Braves: 2 p.m. on NBC
White Sox at Astros: 5 p.m. on NBCSN
Red Sox at Yankees: 8 p.m. on NBC
Cubs at Padres: 9:30 p.m. on NBCSN
Any necessary Game 3s will take place Thursday.
NBCSN is available on Xfinity (channel 1211 in Philly), YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and Fubo, but it isn’t currently available on Verizon Fios. All the games will also stream on Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service.
While NBC Sports Philadelphia won’t broadcast any Phillies games, radio announcers Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen will continue to handle play-calling duties on 94.1 WIP.
How can I get Phillies playoff tickets?
If you’re an optimist, you might be able to land Phillies tickets to the NLDS. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
A handful of seats for Games 1 and 2 of a possible National League divisional series at Citizens Bank Park were still available on the team’s website as of Sunday morning.
The team will notify you if you’ve been randomly selected for the opportunity to purchase playoff tickets on Monday, Oct. 12.
Full 2026 MLB playoff schedule
Jackson Chourio and the Brewers are the No. 1 seed in the NL. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
The MLB playoffs feature 12 teams (six from each league), with three division winners and three wild-card teams per league.
Here are the National League’s six playoff teams:
Milwaukee Brewers
Los Angeles Dodgers
Atlanta Braves
San Diego Padres
Chicago Cubs
Philadelphia Phillies
Here are the six playoff teams in the American League:
Tampa Bay Rays
Cleveland Guardians
Houston Astros
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Chicago White Sox
2026 MLB playoff TV schedule
Following the wild-card round, Fox will broadcast the final two rounds of the National League playoffs, while the American League games will air on TBS. The World Series will once again air on Fox.
Here’s how the MLB playoff schedule breaks down this season:
Wild-card series (best-of-three): Begin Sept. 29 (NBC, NBCSN)
Divisional series (best-of-five): Begin Oct. 3 (Fox, FS1, TBS, truTV)
Championship series (best-of-seven): Begin Oct. 11 (Fox, TBS)
World Series (best-of-seven): Begins Oct. 23 (Fox)
Phillies should benefit as ABS system makes playoff debut
J.T. Realmuto has been very successful in his challenges to balls and strikes.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
As for other playoff rule changes, there will be no “ghost runners” during the postseason.
MLB’s designated runner rule puts a player on second base to begin each half-inning if a game is tied after nine innings. The rule was an attempt to preserve pitching staffs and avoid extra-long regular season games.
But during the playoffs, that rule is out the window. So if any postseason games enter extra innings, you won’t see anyone on second base.
Keith Laudeman, the third-generation owner of the Lobster House, explained that for three days, the water level outside the restaurant inched up — the result of relentless northeast winds holding seawater in the inlet.
Saturday morning’s high tide was the “icing on the cake” that sent floodwaters pouring through the front door.
Laudeman dealt with flooding after Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and Storm Jonas in 2016. He said his team will have to wash everything with freshwater, scrub it down with antimicrobial soap, and replace carpeting.
He hopes to have the restaurant open within three days, and plans for the fish market and coffee shop to be open Monday.
As for the lobsters escaping to sea, Laudeman said anything is possible.
“That’s a little far-fetched,” he said. “But if it adds to the story, then go ahead.”
