Presented by the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
The Sixers opened the season by spoiling the Knicks’ championship banner night, and I thought they looked good overall. There are certainly things to clean up, but the potential is there. They’ll be back home Thursday for their home opener.
October 21 has seen some big Phillies postseason moments over the years.
We Win!
On this day in 1980, the Phillies faced the Kansas City Royals in Game 6 of the World Series in front of nearly 66,000 raucous fans, all hoping to celebrate the franchise’s first world championship.
The crowd was electric as the Phillies’ ace, Steve Carlton, took the mound. Lefty delivered a masterclass, pitching seven shutout innings and allowing just four hits. Mike Schmidt got the scoring started with a two-run single in the bottom of the third, and the Phillies added two more runs to take control.
Carlton turned the game over to Tug McGraw, who was asked to get the final six outs. He surrendered a run in the eighth, then found himself in a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the ninth.
In subsequent interviews, Tugger recalled that his arm was dead. He couldn’t effectively throw his screwball, and his fingers were numb. He needed some help, and he got it in one of the most memorable plays of the Series.
With two outs still needed, Frank White hit a foul ball that Bob Boone appeared ready to catch. The ball bounced out of Boone’s glove, and Pete Rose, backing up the play, was there to secure it for the second out.
As mounted police and K-9 units began surrounding the field, the drama reached a fever pitch. Willie Wilson stepped to the plate and quickly fell behind 0-2. After taking a ball, Wilson swung and missed at McGraw’s fastball.
The Phillies were finally World Champions!
The ghosts of 1976, 1977, and 1978 were erased. McGraw leaped into the air with his arms raised, waiting for Schmidt to jump into his embrace. Schmidt would go on to win the World Series MVP award.
Wilson struck out a World Series-record 12 times during the series, but Phillies fans will always remember him for the last one: the final out of the franchise’s first championship.
Trivia – Who currently holds the MLB World Series record for strikeouts in one series? (Answer below)
We Need an Ace
On this day in 1993, with the bullpen exhausted after the previous night’s epic 15-14 loss, the Phillies needed their ace, Curt Schilling, to step up. And step up he did.
Schilling delivered a complete-game shutout, throwing an astonishing 147 pitches to keep the Phillies’ World Series hopes alive. Kevin Stocker doubled home a run, and John Kruk drove in the other as the Phillies earned a 2-0 victory.
The win sent the series back to Toronto, with the Phillies trailing three games to two and their championship hopes still alive.
Back-To-Back
On this day in 2009, the Phillies hit four home runs, including two by Jayson Werth, as they beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4 to clinch their second consecutive National League pennant.
The victory sent the Phillies to the World Series for the second straight year, keeping their hopes of repeating as champions alive.
Swing Game
On this day in 2022, Kyle Schwarber led off the bottom of the first with a home run as the Phillies jumped out to an early lead against the Padres in Game 3 of the NLCS.
Jean Segura added a two-run single, and Alec Bohm chipped in with an RBI double. Ranger Suárez earned his first postseason win as the Phillies secured a 4-2 victory, taking a two-games-to-one lead in the series.
We Need an Ace Part 2
On this day in 2023, exactly 30 years after Curt Schilling stepped up with a complete-game shutout in the 1993 World Series, the Phillies once again needed their ace to deliver with a trip to the World Series on the line.
With Zack Wheeler on the mound, he answered the call. Wheeler pitched seven innings, striking out eight and allowing just one earned run. Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and J.T. Realmuto each homered as the Phillies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-1.
The victory sent the Phillies home with a three-games-to-two lead in the NLCS and two chances at Citizens Bank Park to clinch their second consecutive trip to the World Series.
Trivia Answer – Cody Bellinger struck out 17 times in the 2017 World Series.
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