HOUSTON — Aaron Nola took a perfect game into the seventh inning and Kyle Schwarber homered twice as the Philadelphia Phillies clinched their first playoff berth in 11 years with a 3-0 victory over the Houston Astros on Monday night.
After Brandon Marsh caught Mauricio Dubon's fly ball in center 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.
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 victorious clubhouse, Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson gave his team a quick speech before champagne flew.
«We're not done,» he told his team. «After Wednesday, we've got 13 more wins, and we're world champions.… Congratulations, enjoy this, you've earned it.»
The Phillies clinched at the same ballpark where they secured their last postseason trip Sept. 14, 2011. That game was a 1-0 victory over the Astros highlighted by a complete game shutout by Hall of Famer Roy Halladay.
Philadelphia's postseason drought was the longest active one in the majors after the Seattle Mariners clinched their first playoff berth in 21 years Friday night.
«Enjoy. This doesn't come around all the time,» Phillies principal owner John Middleton told the team in the clubhouse. «I want to get used to this like we were from '07 to '11.»
The Phillies entered the opener of the final regular-season series of the year needing a win or a loss by the Brewers to get a National League wild-card spot. The Brewers rallied to beat the
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