Phillies upset Cardinals to reach first NLDS since 2011

Bryce Harper arrived at Busch Stadium early Saturday afternoon with a message for all of his Philadelphia Phillies teammates.

He wanted them to know that this — the St. Louis Cardinals’ magical campaign, the historic careers of Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina and, more specifically, the first-round wild-card series — would end later that night. The Phillies, he told them, would not allow for a decisive Game 3.

“We’re not losing,” he continued to say as he went around the clubhouse.

Then he delivered.

Harper homered off a first-pitch Miles Mikolas curveball to lead off the second inning, silencing a sold-out crowd and providing all the run support a dominant Aaron Nola would need. The Phillies, who fired their manager 51 games into the season and concluded third in their division, defeated the Cardinals 2-0 and advanced to a National League Division Series showdown versus the Atlanta Braves.

“It’s MVP-type stuff,” Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins said of Harper’s declaration. “Awesome.”

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The Cardinals, the No. 3 seed heading into this postseason, went out fighting — thanks in large part to Pujols and Molina, whose careers came to an abrupt end.

With one on, one out and the Cardinals trailing by two runs in the eighth, Pujols smoked a line drive down the third-base line that caromed off the fence, preventing extra bases. Pujols was replaced by a pinch runner and exited to a thunderous ovation from the 48,515 in attendance, then watched Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado strike out while representing the go-ahead run.

With one on and two outs in the ninth, Molina singled to right, once again putting the tying run on base. He, too, was replaced by a pinch runner and drew a raucous salute from the fans.

Molina paced the dugout while the rest of his teammates stood along the railing, clearly emotional and finding it difficult to even watch. On the field, Zach Eflin got Tommy Edman to pop out in foul territory, ending the Cardinals’ season.

“Everybody in that clubhouse is feeling it right now,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “It’s a tough one. When you know it’s Yadi’s last year and Albert’s last year, there’s this extra motivation to deliver for them and do something special and allow that story to end with a championship, so it’s obviously disappointing. But it’s where we’re at.”

The Phillies will now face a division-rival Braves team they played against 19 times this season, losing 11 games but getting outscored by only a combined three runs. Game 1 starts Tuesday from Truist Park in Atlanta and will presumably be started by Ranger Suarez, the 27-year-old left-hander who was on tap to start Game 3 of the wild-card series if needed. Zack Wheeler and Nola, who combined to throw 13 scoreless innings in the two games, can line up for Games 2 and 3, respectively.

“It’s incredible, this group of guys we’ve got here,” Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto said moments before dousing his teammates with champagne. “And I can promise you that not one person in that clubhouse is surprised at what we’re doing. This is where we expected to be to start the season, and we’re here and we’re not done yet.”

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