With NL East clinched, Phillies' Canadian manager wants 1st-round bye

Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto homered. Phillies fans went wild. And pitcher Aaron Nola provided a taste of just how great it would feel for the entire franchise if Philadelphia went all the way.

The Phillies won the National League East for the first time since 2011, clinching the division title with a 6-2 victory over the visiting Chicago Cubs on Monday night.

With a post-season berth already clinched last week, Schwarber and company earned the franchise's 12th division championship.

Philadelphia ended Atlanta's run of six consecutive NL East titles and is trying to finish with the major leagues' best record and home-field advantage throughout the post-season.

The Phillies (93-64) hold the No. 2 spot just behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (93-63) and would earn a first-round bye should the standings hold.

"The biggest things for me, really, are winning the division and getting the bye," said Phillies manager Rob Thomson. He was born in Sarnia, Ont., but home was just down the highway in Corunna, a small town of about 2,000.

"If we get home field throughout, that's a bonus. But I won't put our players in danger to get there."

The Phillies have two games left against the Chicago Cubs and close the season with a three-game set versus the Nationals in Washington.

The Phillies had rolled tarp pinned above clubhouse locker stalls before the game, a familiar protective sight for the bottle-popping ahead for a team that's made the playoffs each of the past three seasons under Thomson.

With playoff appearances now the norm for these Phillies, perhaps the inevitability of it all kept some fans home. After selling out game after game during a sensational season, there were pockets of empty seats at Citizens Bank Park, which topped