South Jersey baseball fans just saw something they haven’t seen in 16 years

Four years ago, on an October Friday afternoon in St. Louis, a new era of Phillies baseball was born. Down 2-0 with one out in the top of the ninth, the Phillies rallied for six runs, stealing a game-one victory in the National League Wild Card Series over the Cardinals.

They would sweep that series, before winning two more, and going all the way to game six of the World Series before their season ended.

That Friday changed a lot of things for the Phillies. It showed newer fans what winning in the postseason is like, and it reminded older fans of a feeling they hadn't felt in over a decade.

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Kyle Clark / Townsquare Media

Those same Cardinals brought the Phillies new magic once again this weekend. Trailing 4-0 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the Phillies were down to their final strike four times before Kyle Schwarber blasted a walk-off home run over the batter's eye in center field.

The comeback gave the Phillies their ninth consecutive win, and third straight series sweep. They hadn't swept three straight series since September of 2010, when they swept the Marlins, Nationals, and Braves. That stretch saw Roy Halladay record his 20th win, a feat a Phillies pitcher has not duplicated since. Cristopher Sanchez has an opportunity to reach 20 wins this year.

The 2026 Phillies swept the Twins, Marlins, and Cardinals in order to get to nine straight.

Whether this year finally ends in the elusive World Series Championship remains to be seen. Another bite at the apple is all this group of players can ask for.

But even if for a fleeting moment, an afternoon game against the Cardinals once again reminded us that anything is possible.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kyle Clark. Any opinions expressed are his own.

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