Phillies Cap Off 96-Win Season in Extra Innings, Eye Deep Playoff Run

PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Philadelphia Phillies closed out a stellar regular season in dramatic fashion on Sunday, edging the Minnesota Twins 2-1 in 10 innings. Nick Castellanos sealed the win with a walk-off sacrifice fly, wrapping up a 96-win campaign as the team sets its sights on the postseason.

Trea Turner claimed his second career National League batting title, finishing the season with a .304 average despite missing three weeks with a hamstring injury. The last Phillies player to win a batting crown was Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn in 1958. Turner previously led the majors in 2021 with a .328 average between Washington and the Dodgers.

Kyle Schwarber also capped off a monster year, leading the National League with 56 home runs and 132 RBIs. He narrowly edged Shohei Ohtani (55) in the home run race and finished just four behind MLB leader Cal Raleigh (60) of Seattle.

Philadelphia’s starter Cristopher Sánchez delivered a strong performance in his final tune-up before taking the mound in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. He struck out eight over 5 1/3 innings and allowed just two hits, earning a standing ovation from the home crowd.

The Twins tied the game late, with Ryan Jeffers hitting an RBI double in the sixth and Max Kepler launching a solo homer in the eighth. But in the 10th, Castellanos drove in the automatic runner with a deep fly off Cody Laweryson to clinch the win.

The Twins finish their season at 70-92 and face questions heading into the offseason, including the future of manager Rocco Baldelli. Their 2026 season will begin March 26 in Baltimore.

Up Next:
Phillies host Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday, opponent TBD.