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Philadelphia Phillies Beat Rays to Avoid Historic Collapse, Secure Spot in Wild-Card vs. Braves
On Sunday, Sept. 27, the Philadelphia Phillies clinched the final National League Wild Card berth by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 at Citizens Bank Park, eliminating the Arizona Diamondbacks from postseason contention.
Philadelphia held a 6 1/2-game lead over Arizona on Sept. 1 before a late-season tailspin; four consecutive losses trimmed the advantage to one game entering the 162nd and final game of the season.
Ace Zack Wheeler struck out five and allowed one run over six innings, while Bryce Harper and Edmundo Sosa hit fifth-inning home runs to power the Phillies' 88th victory of the season.
Following the win, the team advances to a best-of-three Wild Card Series against the Atlanta Braves, with Game 1 scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 29, at Truist Park in Atlanta.
Entering their fifth consecutive playoff appearance, the Phillies maintain a 10-4 record against the Braves in postseason play and have never lost a playoff series to Atlanta.