Canadian manager Rob Thomson leads Phillies to 1st playoff berth since 2011

When the Philadelphia Phillies fired manager Joe Girardi after a 22-29 start to the season, it was hard to imagine that Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Canadian interim manager Rob Thomson would be dancing in a champagne shower come October.

But this team persevered through the tough start and an injury that took Harper out for two months to do just that, beating the Houston Astros 3-0 Monday night to clinch its first playoff berth in 11 years.

"This is the goal," Harper said. "This is what you play for."

"It hasn't been an easy season," Schwarber said. "We went through a manager change, went through the MVP being down... and we went through people saying that our season's over, that don't even count the Phillies and they can't catch the baseball... and for us to get all of our guys back and healthy and for them to all be there and contribute that's what it's about."

After Brandon Marsh caught Mauricio Dubon's fly ball in centre for for the game's final out, players jumped and cheered in jubilation before meeting at the mound where they hugged and bounced around some more.

The video board at Minute Maid Park displayed the team's logo and the words: "Congratulations Philadelphia" as the Phillies celebrated.

Thoms.<br>This team.<br>These guys. <a href="https://t.co/bfDk12oAlO">pic.twitter.com/bfDk12oAlO</a>

A small but vocal group of Philadelphia fans congregated near the team's dugout and chanted: "Let's go Phillies," in the bottom of the ninth inning.

In the clubhouse after the game, players and coaches drank directly from bottles of champagne affixed with special labels celebrating them punching their long-awaited and hard-fought ticket to the post-season.

They danced and sang as champagne from those special bottles