Phillies clinch a first-round playoff bye after beating the Cubs and a Brewers loss

PHILADELPHIA — The next time the Phillies take the field at Citizens Bank Park, it’ll be in Red October for the National League Division Series.

The team with the best home record in Major League Baseball went out with a bang in its last home series of the regular season on Wednesday. The Phillies beat the Cubs, 9-6, and secured a first-round playoff bye on the same night.

Across the Keystone State, the Pirates hung on to beat the Brewers, 2-1, to clinch a bye for the Phillies in the wild-card round next week.

The Phillies offense exploded for 13 hits and three homers, with eight starters recording at least one hit. They struck early with a three-run first inning. Trea Turner got things started with a solo home run, crushing a cutter to the left field seats. Bryce Harper drew a walk, and then back-to-back doubles from Nick Castellanos and Bryson Stott plated two more.

Starting pitcher Cristopher Sánchez had allowed a career-high five walks in his previous outing against the Mets last week. Sánchez was able to limit the walks against the Cubs, issuing just one in the fifth inning. But Chicago made some solid contact against him, including a three-run homer from Nico Hoerner in the fourth. Sánchez’s infielders also committed two errors, leading to one unearned run scoring and a high pitch count

He left his last start of the regular season after 4 2/3 innings and 94 pitches to a standing ovation from the home crowd.

But the Phillies offense stayed hot, and were able to pick up both its pitcher and its fielding. Castellanos, who finished a triple shy of the cycle, hit a homer in the third inning, and Kody Clemens notched a solo shot of his own in the fourth.

In the fifth inning, the Phillies strung together singles from Castellanos, Stott, and a walk to J.T. Realmuto to load the bases. Brandon Marsh capitalized on a cutter left over the plate for a three-run double.

The Cubs added another run in the sixth with Hoerner’s second homer of the game. This time, it came off José Ruiz, and was the first home run the reliever has allowed since an Aug. 25 game against Kansas City. They scored another in the ninth with a single and a double off Carlos Estévez, but Austin Hays made a sliding catch in left field to secure the final out of the game.