It’s been a while since I wrote about a Philadelphia sports team, but Red October seems like the perfect time to write one. For those of you who don’t know what Red October means, it’s “Philadelphian” for the Phillies being in the MLB Playoffs.

The run started two weeks ago when the Phillies won the National League East in a Monday night game against the Chicago Cubs. I was at the game, and the celebration after the last out was so fun! The players rushed on the field to celebrate, the Phillie Phanatic waved the 2024 pennant, and we even got to hear a snippet of the Phillies’ new victory mix.

Since then, the playoff race hasn’t been easy. The Phillies are currently playing in the NLDS against the New York Mets, our rivals. Over the weekend they played two games at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies home stadium. The first game started out exciting as Kyle Schwarber hit a home run in his first at bat, but then the Phillies didn’t get many hits after that and ended up losing.

Despite the loss, my brother and I were optimistic and decided to get last-minute tickets to Game 2 the following day. The energy in the stadium was a mixture of excitement and anxiety. The game started out a little slow, but during the second inning a Mets player hit a two-run homer and the vibes were low. The stadium was quiet and had no energy; but since it was still early in the game, we had some hope. We were down 3–0 in the sixth inning, but that’s when the vibes started to change. Trea Turner got on base, and our superstar, Bryce Harper, was up next. Harper ended up drilling the ball to center field for a two-run home run. The stadium was alive again with fans cheering, yelling and jumping — the stands were shaking! Next up, Nick Castellanos hit a rocket to the stands for a back-to-back home run. I didn’t think the crowd could get louder, but it did. Suddenly, the Phillies were back in the game.

During the eighth inning, the Phillies increased the lead to 6–3 thanks to some smart base running from players and a triple from Bryson Stott. The vibes were high going into the ninth inning as it looked like we were about to come out with a win when one of the Mets hit another two-run homer to tie the game.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Phillies either had to make plays or go into extra innings. Trea Turner and Bryce Harper safely got on base, meaning Nick Castellanos was up next. This year, Nick Castellanos has hit multiple walk-offs to win the game for the Phillies, and with Trea in scoring position on second base, everyone was hoping for another walk-off. Thankfully, we got our wish, and Nick hit the ball hard to the corner of right field, sending Trea home and winning the game! The crowd went crazy, me included. This was one of the best games I’ve ever been to; I’m so glad we decided to get the last-minute tickets.

Now they just have to go out and win two in New York so we can move on to the next round! If you are looking for a team to root for this post-season, I highly recommend the Phillies; you’re in for a treat. Go Phils!

— Mary Melnick, social media & editorial coordinator