If you needed to be convinced of the top playoff seed's importance after watching the Phillies make deep runs two postseasons in a row despite entering as a wild-card team, just look at their last two homestands.
The Phillies have gone 10-3 in their last 13 games at Citizens Bank Park, winning seven of them in dramatic fashion. They're rarely out of a game in front of these fans.
• 9/15 vs. NYM: Walk-off win
• 9/14 vs. NYM: Down 4-0, won in 7th
• 9/10 vs. TB: Won in 8th
• 9/9 vs. TB: Walk-off win
• 9/1 vs. ATL: Walk-off win
• 8/29 vs. ATL: Down 4-0, won in 7th
• 8/26 vs. HOU: Walk-off win
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
J.T. Realmuto singled in Nick Castellanos in the bottom of the ninth Sunday as the Phillies walked off, 2-1, over the Mets.
Castellanos fell behind 0-2 before singling off Edwin Diaz. With two outs, Castellanos stole second, and Diaz started Realmuto 0-2 as well. Realmuto said the first pitch looked like it was "110 mph" because of the shadows. Two pitches later, he sent a 99 mph fastball into right-center for the win.
"These are the type of games and teams you're gonna play in the postseason," Realmuto said. "Honestly, for us, every game is really important. It's been that way for a while. This time of year, you can't think too far ahead or think about which series is important or isn't. Every day, we need a win until we clinch the first seed."
At 90-59, the Phillies are guaranteed of ending the weekend at least three games ahead of the Dodgers for the 1-seed in the National League, which comes with home-field advantage. Given the top American League team trails the Phillies by 3½ games, home-field advantage looks like it would extend through the World Series should the Phils get there.
Philadelphia Phillies
"The 1-seed is very important to us and we're gonna play as well as we can until we get it," Realmuto said. "It's no secret we love playing here at The Bank and we have some of the best home-field advantage in baseball with what this crowd brings us and how we play here. It's really important for us."
The Phillies have the best home record in baseball at 52-26 (and that includes a loss in London in a "home" game). No other team has more than 48 wins at home.
Sanchez and fellow lefty David Peterson each began with seven scoreless innings. Tyrone Taylor hit a solo homer off Sanchez to begin the eighth, but the Phillies responded right away in the bottom half with back-to-back doubles by Weston Wilson and Buddy Kennedy.
Again, the Lehigh Valley crew came through.
Wilson had a game-winning single on Wednesday and scored the game-tying run Sunday.
Kennedy had the game-tying hit Sunday, extended the Phillies' lead in the eighth inning Tuesday and walked ahead of Kody Clemens' walk-off single on Monday.
Cal Stevenson, after hitting a game-winning double on Tuesday, hit another game-winning double on Saturday, then robbed what would have been a game-tying homer.
One by one, the depth pieces stepped up.
"Weston had a huge double in the eighth inning, Buddy drives him in, last night it was Cal. It seems like every night it's somebody different," Realmuto said. "That's what makes this team a lot of fun — at any given time, anybody can beat you. We've proven that lately."
They've also gotten healthier.
Realmuto missed a week from September 6-13 after fouling a ball off his left knee. He played all three games this weekend and will likely have Monday off in Milwaukee before catching Zack Wheeler on Tuesday.
Kyle Schwarber also played the whole weekend after missing a game with an elbow contusion.
Alec Bohm returned from the injured list Sunday and went 1-for-4, elongating the Phillies' lineup by a spot just with his presence.
"Especially with the way we got beat the first night (11-3), like I said after that game, our guys just keep moving forward," manager Rob Thomson said. "They're veteran-laden. They know it's a long year and a new day tomorrow."
Monday begins a three-game series with the Brewers, who will enter the series at least three games behind the Phillies. The NL East is nearly wrapped up and the Phils can go a long way toward securing a first-round bye if they take care of business in Milwaukee.