Philadelphia Phillies Still Have Plenty on the Line To Close Regular Season

The Philadelphia Phillies have clinched a playoff spot and won the NL east, but can't afford to take these last few games of the regular season off.

Sep 23, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies second base Bryson Stott (5), first baseman Bryce Harper (3) and catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) celebrate the National League East Division title after defeating the Chicago Cubsat Citizens Bank Park. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies finally clinched the NL East title after their win over the Chicago Cubs on Monday, but they still have plenty to play for over the final few games the regular season.

As The Atheltic's MLB staff tried to figure out what each team in the league is still playing for, the answer was easy for the Phillies. They are still fighting for home field advantage throughout the National League playoffs.

"Sure, stunningly dropping Games 6 and 7 of last year’s NLCS at home to the Diamondbacks has taken a chunk out of the aura Philadelphia had created on Broad Street the last two Octobers," said Tim Britton. "But for our money, this remains the loudest place in baseball, and the Phillies have a strong chance to make sure every Game 1 they play, every winner-take-all decisive game they play, would take place at home."

Philadelphia is neck-and-neck with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top spot in the National League, but are playing sloppier baseball as of late.

The Phillies are 4-6 in their last 10 games, choosing the wrong time for a slump.

One player that desperately needs to heat up over the final stretch of games is third baseman Alec Bohm.

Bohm started the season off as one of the best hitters in all of baseball but has fallen off a cliff over the past month.

Thankfully he's still an above average glove in the hot corner so he's not a complete waste of the lineup spot, but his .229/.275/.375 slashing line is not gonna cut it in the postseason.

The 28-year-old doesn't have a great track record in the playoffs, either, so it's not like there's much evidence that he'll magically find his swing again.

His success carried the offense for a stretch this season, so having him playing well again would be crucial.

Over on the pitching staff, Ranger Suarez could use a confidence boost in his last start of the regular season.

Suarez, once a Cy Young candidate, has posted a 5.72 ERA over his last 10 starts.

Unlike Bohm, the southpaw does have a history of success in October to look back one, but showing some poise for a final time before the postseason starts could go a long way.

Philadelphia should be fine either way, but having as much home field advantage in the playoffs as possible is something worth fighting for.