Phillies secure playoff spot: Philadelphia continues to chase the division title and is number 1 in the NL overall rankings

The Philadelphia Phillies clinched a playoff spot with a 12-2 victory over the New York Mets on Friday night. The Phillies, in turn, joined the Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, Cleveland Guardians and Los Angeles Dodgers in the postseason.

The Phillies fell behind early on Friday, trailing 2-0 after the first inning. They tied the game with runs in the second and third innings before taking a commanding lead with a six-run lead in the fourth. Alec Bohm delivered the most consequential hit, driving in three runs with a home run to take an 8-2 lead. Bohm and others kept going as the Phillies built a 10-run lead by the ninth inning.

It's important to note that the Phillies have only secured a postseason berth, so they are guaranteed no worse than the third wild card team. That's all fine now. Their magic number to win the NL East – the combination of Phillies wins and/or Mets losses needed to win the division – is now just two. The Phillies could very well clinch the Eastern title by the end of the weekend.

For the Phillies, making the playoffs is just the first step toward their ultimate goal. They want to win the NL East – Philadelphia hasn't won the division since 2011 – and also achieve one of the two best records in the National League, which would give them a first-round bye after the Wild Card Series. The Phillies entered Friday tied with the Dodgers in the top 10 in baseball-basketball league scoring at 59.5%.

Two years ago, the Phillies won the NL Championship before losing to the Houston Astros in the World Series. Last fall, they lost Games 6 and 7 of the NL Championship Series at home to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Phillies are looking to forget that memory and win their first World Series title since 2008. A postseason berth is assured. Now they have a lot of work ahead of them.