It was never going to be easy. Certainly not as easy as Aaron Nola made it look for the first 20 batters of his Monday night. Making it through three rounds of the National League playoffs was always going to be a slog. But if the Phillies wrapped up here, on the road, in Houston, just a couple of days removed from a magic number that stood at six, they were going to have a chance.

For 6⅔ innings, Nola didn’t just show the rest of the NL playoff field why the Phillies will be joining them for the first time in more than a decade. He showed them why they need to be taken seriously. In Nola, they have a pitcher who can do the things that he did Monday night. In Zack Wheeler, they have two.

They were always the reason why it made sense to believe in the Phillies. You know about the offense. Maybe it hasn’t been everything that John Middleton expected when he started writing $20 million checks this offseason. But the bats are there. We’ve seen teams with far less offensive talent than the Phillies score enough runs to win a playoff series. That potential will always be there. At the end of the day, though, it tends to come down to the pitcher.

» READ MORE: A brilliant Aaron Nola clinched the playoffs. He and Zack Wheeler are why the Phillies can win it.

— David Murphy

Watching the Phillies celebrate is a reminder that there’s a lot to be said for the openness and access that comes with covering a MLB team winning a division or clinching a playoff spot/series. An example of what I mean:

In 2008, when the Phillies won the NL East on that memorable Jimmy Rollins-to-Chase Utley-to-Ryan Howard double play, Charlie Manuel spent most of the aftermath in his office, watching his players celebrate. One by one, writers would step inside, talk to Charlie a little, and head back to the clubhouse.

When I happened to be with him, Charlie had two big bottles of Seagram’s VO on his desk. Then his office phone rang. He answered it.

“Yeah,” he said. “Dallas! How you doing, buddy?”

In 2006, Dallas Green had publicly criticized Charlie, and that criticism led to an on-field confrontation between them in which Charlie basically chewed him out. But the two of them had put that incident aside and become friends. Now Dallas was calling to congratulate him on the division title, and Charlie couldn’t have been happier to hear from him.

That little moment said a lot about who Charlie Manuel was and is.

— Mike Sielski

» READ MORE: How the Phillies’ latest playoff drought stacks up to others in MLB history

For much of Monday night, it appeared the Phillies’ ticket back to the postseason would be punched after the final outcome of a game that was played more than 1,100 miles away.

Sorry, but the occasion called for more drama than that.

It took the Phillies nearly 11 years — 4,010 days, to be precise, but hey, who was counting? — to return to the playoffs. Aaron Nola has been around for most of it, more than any of his teammates. He played with Howard and Utley and Hamels and Ruiz. He pitched for teams that lost 99, 91, and 96 games. He watched the teardown and the rebuild and signed a four-year contract extension just before the rebuild stalled.

And now, with the manual scoreboard in left field showing that the Milwaukee Brewers were close to surrendering in a wild-card race that felt more like a slog, Nola stood on a mound in October for the first time in his career, dogged by a reputation for wilting late in seasons, and didn’t allow a baserunner until there were two out in the seventh inning of a one-run game.

Let it be said, then, that the Phillies won their way into the playoffs. They rode Nola, three solo homers — two by National League home-run king Kyle Schwarber — and a scoreless ninth inning from starter-turned-reliever Zach Eflin — acquired back in 2014 for Jimmy Rollins — to a 3-0 victory over the 104-win Houston Astros before 32,324 paying customers at Minute Maid Park.

The decadelong hunt for a red October is over.

At last.

» READ MORE: The drought is over: The Phillies clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2011

— Scott Lauber

Milwaukee is still alive (for now) after Hunter Renfroe walks it off with an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th to beat the Diamondbacks 6-5.

Those two homers by Bryson Stott and Kyle Schwarber loom even larger now as the Brewers tie the Diamondbacks, 4-4, in the bottom of the ninth in Milwaukee. Christian Yelich and Kolten Wong scored on a fielding error by Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker, who went to Kennedy Kenrick High School.

— Maria McIlwain

Home run No. 10 from Bryson Stott came on the first pitch he saw from José Urquidy (yeah, kind of like Kyle Schwarber’s in the first) and just cleared the wall inn right field to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead in the eighth inning. Schwarber followed Stott with a solo shot of his own to right field. Schwarber’s homer No. 46 makes it 3-0 Phillies. Stott’s ball left the bat at 107.4 mph; Schwarber’s at 110.6 mph.

— Maria McIlwain

Yordan Alvarez broke up Aaron Nola’s no-hitter with a single over the head of second baseman Jean Segura with two outs in the seventh inning. David Hensley followed Alvarez with a single. The Phillies are bringing in José Alvarado. Nola’s final line: no runs on two hits with no walks and nine strikeouts over 6⅔ innings. He threw 88 pitches, 63 for strikes.

— Maria McIlwain

Lance McCullers Jr.’s night is done. José Urquidy is on to pitch as Astros manager Dusty Baker makes wholesale changes to the lineup. Christian Vázquez is in for Martín Maldonado at catcher, Aledmys Díaz is at second (for Jose Altuve), David Hensley at third (for Alex Bregman), and Mauricio Dubón replaces Jeremy Peña at shortstop.

McCullers allowed one run on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts over six innings.

Aaron Nola remains perfect through six innings, now with eight strikeouts.

— Maria McIlwain

The Brewers are losing, 4-1, to Arizona after a two-run home run by Sergio Alcantara in the top of the seventh inning off of Brewers reliever Hoby Milner. Statcast gives the Diamondbacks an 88% chance of beating the Brewers, which would send the Phillies to the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

— Maria McIlwain

Aaron Nola has not allowed a hit through his first four innings of work tonight. He has struck out six batters, an impressive feat against an Astros lineup that has struck out the second fewest times among all MLB teams.

— Alex Coffey

In Milwaukee, Sergio Alcantara hits a sacrifice fly to center field to score Corbin Carroll. The Diamondbacks lead the Brewers 2-1 in the top of the fifth inning.

— Alex Coffey

Backup catcher Garrett Stubbs knows Minute Maid Park better than he knows his own. He rose through the Astros farm system alongside some of their best hitters, like Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, Yuli Gurriel and Yordan Alvarez. In the minor leagues, he caught two of the three starters the Phillies are facing over this three-game set in Houston: Lance McCullers Jr. and Framber Valdez.

Stubbs was part of the Astros organization from 2015 to November of 2021, when he was traded to the Phillies for outfielder Logan Cerny. You better believe his Phillies teammates are peppering him with questions.

“I’ll give them insight,” Stubbs said. “As much as I loved being in Houston and being part of that team, I’m on the other side now, and they know that I’m going to do everything I can to beat them. I’ll be giving away all of the stuff that I feel can help us win the game over the next three days.”

» READ MORE: Stubbs will do ‘everything I can’ to help Phillies beat his former team

— Alex Coffey

How did Astros star third baseman Alex Bregman fare in his first appearance against his former roommate at LSU, Aaron Nola? Bregman grounded out to shortstop Bryson Stott on the second pitch he saw from Nola, the Phillies’ starter Monday night, in the bottom of the second inning.

The duo helped the Tigers win back-to-back Southeastern Conference tournament titles in 2013-14. Nola, who was drafted No. 7 overall by the Phillies in 2014, is now on the cusp of his first playoff berth, while Bregman, the No. 2 overall pick by the Astros in 2015, was part of the team’s 2017 World Series championship squad and is coming off a run to last year’s Fall Classic as well.

— Maria McIlwain

In Milwaukee, it’s a tie game at 1-1 as the Diamondbacks’ Cooper Hummel answered Christian Yelich’s second-inning solo homer with a blast of his own in the third inning. The Phillies clinch a playoff spot with a win or Brewers loss.

The first pitch was at 7:11 p.m. CT, and Kyle Schwarber gave it a ride, hitting a home run to left-center off a 92.3 mph sinker to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. Schwarber’s leadoff blast, his 45th of the season, traveled 394 feet and had an exit velocity of 106.3 mph.

Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson had a succinct answer when asked how it feels to be one win away from the playoffs.

“Pretty much the same,” he said. “It’s not over until you get that little mark next to your name, so we’ve got to just keep going, just keep playing, play the way we’ve been playing, good at-bats, good defense, good pitching.”

— Maria McIlwain

There’s someone who resembles Phillies utilityman Nick Maton in the Astros bullpen. No, Maton doesn’t simply have a doppelganger — his brother is Astros reliever Phil Maton.

The brothers have never played together — they missed each other by a year in high school — but Nick, 25, said he’ll treat it like any other at-bat if he were to face his older brother, Phil, 29, during this week’s series in Houston. Nick said their mother and little brother were in attendance Monday night.

While Nick, who has 84 games of major-league experience across two seasons, has never made the playoffs, Phil was part of the Astros team that reached the World Series last season. Nick spoke with his older brother about that team’s run.

“It’s exciting,” Nick Maton said. “It’s a good spot to be in.”

But that’s not all the brothers have had to discuss recently.

As funny as it is on social media, a position player pitching isn’t typically a good sign for the team in that situation. Nick pitched ⅓ of an inning in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader, a 13-4 loss to the Washington Nationals, inducing a flyout on three pitches to end the eighth.

“He always laughs when he sees I throw,” Nick Maton said. “It’s happened a couple times. He texts me. It’s funny.”

— Maria McIlwain

Jean Segura has played 1,326 games throughout his 11-year MLB career. He’s never been to the playoffs, the longest-tenured active player to not have reached the postseason. That all could change tonight.

“Happiness” is the first word that came to mind for the 32-year-old infielder.

”Everyone is excited here to clinch,” he said. “We hope we clinch as quickly as we can and keep moving forward.”

Being able to clinch a postseason spot after playing in a difficult division like the NL East isn’t lost on Segura. Two division rivals — the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets — already have clinched a playoff berth.

”That’s why the East is so tough,” he said. “We play some really good pitching every time, and we play against those teams all the time.”

So the task of facing the Houston Astros and their stable of stars and Cy Young-caliber pitchers is normal to him. The Phillies face Lance McCullers Jr. (an All-Star in 2017) tonight before taking on two-time Cy Young winner Justin Verlander on Tuesday and 2022 All-Star Framber Valdez on Wednesday.

”That’s what we’ve been facing all year long,” he said. “Facing the Astros, I know they have really good pitching, but we normally face that. … Right now, we hope we win this game and clinch today, and we don’t have to worry about the next two.”

— Maria McIlwain

Phillies left fielder Kyle Schwarber is one of just a few players on the roster to have not only made the playoffs, but advanced to the World Series, winning a title in 2016 with the Chicago Cubs. He wants to make sure his teammates are enjoying the experience of a playoff race — especially now that a win clinches a wild-card spot and breaks a decade-long playoff drought.

“You don’t want to put extra pressure on yourself just to get to a goal,” Schwarber said. “There’s that little person in the back of your head that says, ‘Hey, we’ve got to win, got to win, got to win.’ … Just because now that it means something more, doesn’t mean that we have to go out and do more. I think that’s the overall message, and I feel like we’ve done a pretty good job with that.

“If you look around the clubhouse, everything looks pretty normal. It’s kind of just business as usual. We’ll take it a day at a time, and see where this leads us.”

— Maria McIlwain

Aaron Nola got drafted by the Phillies in 2014 and has been on the active roster since 2015. He played with Ryan Howard and Chase Utley and Cole Hamels and Carlos Ruiz. He played for teams that lost 99, 91, and 96 games.

There’s something fitting, then, that it’s Nola who will take the mound Monday night with the Phillies on the verge of ending a decadelong playoff drought.

Surely this isn’t just another start for Nola. Not that anyone would know it.

“Aaron Nola, the last five years, has been the same guy every day,” interim manager Rob Thomson said. “Nothing changes with him. No expression, nothing. He’s very consistent.”

Well, except during his last start. In an uncharacteristic fit of outward frustration, Nola slammed his glove in the dugout after giving up four runs in the fifth inning last Wednesday night at Wrigley Field.

“I liked it,” Thomson said, smiling.

Nola has been a workhorse, as usual, this season. This will mark his 32nd start. He’s poised to top 200 innings for the third time in the last four full seasons. He has a 3.36 ERA, including a 2.93 mark in his last five starts.

A few weeks ago, Nola talked about what it would feel like to make the playoffs after so many dark seasons with the Phillies.

“It’s definitely going to make it a lot sweeter,” Nola said in a wide-ranging conversation. “When I came up, I mean, it was a lot of fun coming to the field. I was still a pretty young dude. But those were teams that you know aren’t going to be in it in September. Being up here on some 90-something-loss teams, and then to experience this, it’s pretty sweet for me. You hope we can keep this going and make the push.”

— Scott Lauber

Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson has a clubhouse full of players who haven’t been to the postseason before, like Jean Segura and J.T. Realmuto. So he knows the significance of the Phillies’ position on the brink of clinching a wild-card spot.

“It would mean a lot to them, I know that,” Thomson said prior to Monday’s series opener against the Houston Astros. “They talk about it, and it’s out there. They want to get in badly, trust me.”

However, he is happy with the atmosphere in the clubhouse — one of a team just going about its business.

“I think it’s been pretty consistent all year long,” Thomson said. “Those leaders have taken on that role since Day 1, and it’s kind of been consistent all the way through. I don’t really see much of a difference, and I don’t see much of a difference pregame. They’re up there, they’re playing cards, in the cage, doing something, prep.

“They’ve got their music on, and they’re just relaxed. And I feel good about that.”

— Maria McIlwain

It’s definitely not what fans want to hear, but the decade-long playoff streak the Phillies are hoping to end tonight against the Houston Astros isn’t actually that bad when put in an historical context. It might feel long, but consider this...

The Phillies franchise existed for 33 years before making their first postseason in 1915. We’re not off to a great start, but it can only get better from here, right? Wrong. The Phillies went the next 34 seasons without making it back to the postseason, and when they finally did in 1950, the Whiz Kids were swept out by the Yankees.

It was another 25 years before they would be back, and this time the Phillies finally had their first back-to-back playoff appearances from 1976-78, a full 85 years after the franchise played its first game. Things finally appeared to be turning around, as that started a stretch in which they went to the postseason six times in eight seasons, including winning the franchise’s first World Series title in 1980 and another World Series appearance in 1983 that came up short.

Unfortunately, the Phillies were quickly back to their old ways, as they made the playoffs just once in the next 23 years — the 1993 World Series loss to the Blue Jays — before again becoming postseason regulars from 2007-2011, including their second World Series title (2008).

But they haven’t been back since 2011. They’re hoping that ends tonight in Houston.

— Matt Mullin

On Friday, Phillies catcher J.T. became the second catcher ever with 20 homers and 20 steals in a season. Hall of Famer Iván Rodríguez had 35 homers and 25 steals in 1999.

“Any time you have something where only two guys have done it ever in the game, I know for J.T. it’s probably pretty cool that he’s coupled in a sentence with Pudge,” Rhys Hoskins said before the second game of the doubleheader got rained out and postponed until Saturday. “Luckily he’s on our team. I’m happy to watch him.”

Realmuto stole two bases in the first inning and another in the ninth. He’s the ninth catcher since 1901 to steal three bases in a game and the first since Pittsburgh’s Jason Kendall on April 19, 1999. The last Phillies catcher to do it: Red Dooin on Sept. 24, 1906.

But here’s what sets Realmuto apart: He’s 21-for-21 in stolen-base attempts. (Rodríguez got caught stealing 12 times in 1999.) He’s the first catcher to steal at least 20 bases without getting caught since the National League began tracking such things in 1951 and the American League in 1920.

Realmuto also has thrown out 41.5% of attempted basestealers (27 of 65). And he’s doing it all at age 31 and despite playing more than 100 innings more than any other major league catcher.

“He’s been everything for us,” interim manager Rob Thomson said. “Big hits, controls the running game, the way he runs the game. I’ve said all along that he should be in the MVP conversation for me. That’s how important he is to this club.”

» READ MORE: J.T. Realmuto’s impact on the bases continues with the second 20-homer, 20-steal season ever for a catcher

— Scott Lauber

The last two months have not only seen the Phillies go on a bumpy ride from well in control of the final wild-card spot to clinging on for dear life, but it also saw the Atlanta Braves rapidly rise and eventually surpass the New York Mets for the division lead heading into the final series from the season.

Here’s a visual look back at how we got here ...

— Matt Mullin

If the Phillies are going to end baseball’s longest active playoff drought (thank you, Seattle Mariners), they will have to do it against the best team in the American League.

And the Houston Astros won’t take it easy on them.

The Astros won their 104th game of the season Sunday, 3-1, over the Tampa Bay Rays. They have clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. They are three victories shy of tying the franchise record. Other than that, they have nothing to play for.

But the Astros also get a bye in the best-of-three wild-card series and won’t host Game 1 of the American League Division Series until Oct. 11. So manager Dusty Baker said he intends to play his regulars this week to keep them sharp.

The Phillies insist they wouldn’t have it any other way.

» READ MORE: Phillies face a challenge from the Astros with a return to MLB playoffs on the line

— Scott Lauber

Wait, do they really need 13 pitchers for a three-game series?

“The number of pitchers you take is dependent on the number of extra starters that you take,” Thomson said. “There’s no runner at second base anymore, so you’ve got to be mindful of that.”

A 13-pitcher staff would enable the Phillies to carry at least two extra starters, in addition to Connor Brogdon, Andrew Bellatti, Nick Nelson, and if healthy, Brad Hand. And additional starters may be helpful in case Zack Wheeler gives them less than six innings in what will be his fourth start after missing a month with elbow inflammation.

In that case, they’d have a four-player bench, with the last spot coming down to Dalton Guthrie, Darick Hall, or Edmundo Sosa, if he’s ready.

But how will the Phillies’ approach to their roster change depending on their opponent? Because it almost certainly will ...

» READ MORE: Projecting the Phillies’ playoff roster: Who’s in, who’s out in series vs. Mets or Cardinals

— Scott Lauber

It’s been 11 years since the Phillies clinched a postseason appearance – 4,014 days to be exact.

With such a long drought, it might be tough for fans to even remember who took the field for the Phillies in 2011 in the first game of the National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

In fitting fashion (no pun intended), Shibe Sports, the Center City-based lifestyle brand dedicated to creating apparel that highlights memorable Philly players, teams, and moments took to Twitter Monday to drop the lineup from the opening game in that series.

Phillies fans might never forget how that series ended, with the Cardinals winning 3-2, and slugger Ryan Howard suffering a season-ending Achilles injury on a run to first base, we’re talking about the start, not the end here.

How many players do you remember?

— Kerith Gabriel

The job isn’t done yet for the Phillies, but the odds are certainly in their favor. After drubbing the Nationals, 8-1, on Sunday and watching the Marlins upset the Brewers on the same day, the magic number for Philadelphia to clinch a playoff berth is down to one.

That means the Phillies need just one win from their three-game set against the Astros, or one loss from the Brewers against the Diamondbacks, to punch their ticket to the tournament.

The Phillies, with Aaron Nola on the hill, are slight underdogs to get the job done in Space City on Monday night.

Phillies vs. Astros Oodds:

» READ MORE: Phillies vs. Astros Prediction: Can Philadelphia punch its ticket to October?

— Michael Leboff, The Action Network

The Phillies have been brutal in September for several years now, which is a big part of the reason they’ve failed to make the playoffs since 2011. Just take a look at this graphic of their September slides dating back to the last time they qualified for the postseason.

Thankfully, this year’s MLB regular season extends into October.

» READ MORE: What if the Phillies don’t make the playoffs? The fallout could be considerable.

— Matt Mullin

It didn’t have to be this difficult.

The Phillies had a 4½-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers with 20 games left and a 96.3% chance of making the playoffs on Sept. 14, according to Fangraphs. Then they lost 11 of 16 games to turn it into almost a dead heat.

As infielder Nick Maton took the mound Saturday, a teetering Jenga tower seemed less precarious than the Phillies’ playoff chances, which dropped from 73.3% when the day started to 57.7%, according to Fangraphs. By the end of the night, they rebounded to 79.8%.

“All year, I’ve said that they’re resilient and they come back and they fight,” interim manager Rob Thomson said. “And they do.”

» READ MORE: Phillies bash five home runs to salvage a doubleheader split with Nationals, stretch wild-card lead to one game

— Scott Lauber

What a rollercoaster weekend it was for Phillies fans... and for National League wild card math. With the Milwaukee Brewers hosting Miami over the weekend, any misstep by the Phillies could be costly.

That misstep, of course, came early Saturday afternoon, when the Phillies got spanked, 13-4, by the Washington Nationals.

But thanks to a rebound win Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, and some major help from Miami, the Phillies’ magic number, and betting odds, rapidly turned in their favor.

They’re now near-locks to take a wild card spot.

DraftKings on Monday morning had the Phillies at -2500 to make the playoffs and +1400 to get swept out of Houston and have the Brewers sweep Arizona.

» READ MORE: How much did Milwaukee’s losses impact Phillies’ wild card odds?

— Jeff Neiburg, The Action Network

So, here’s the deal.

The Phillies are looking to make the MLB postseason for the first time since 2011 — you know, the year they won 102 games but their World Series dreams ended with Ryan Howard curled up in a ball on the first base line — and missing out this year would be catastrophic.

Why? Well, not only did the Phillies go over the luxury tax threshold for the first time, but as recently as two weeks ago, they were looking like a near certainty to make the playoffs, with Fangraphs giving them a 98% chance to get in. Since then, they’ve struggled like a team who knows (and fears) its own history.

So what stands between the Phillies and a “Red October?” Well, for starters a three-game series against the best the American League has to offer in the 104-win Houston Astros. But the good news for the Phillies is in the standings.

The Phillies hold a two-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the final National League wild-card spot, and can climb as high as the second wild-card spot with some help from the Padres, but that’s about it. Here’s a look at where the teams stand heading into play on Monday.

And that’s it. There are three teams — the Phillies, San Diego Padres, and Milwaukee Brewers — playing for two spots. And the Padres already have one of those spots locked up, it’s just a matter of whether they’re the second or third wild-card team.

The Phillies don’t have that luxury. They still need to take care of business — or get some help from the Brewers — to clinch.

Sure, their magic number is down to one, meaning they need to win just one of their final three games or the Brewers to lose one of theirs. That would be one heck of a collapse for the Phillies, and would only add insult to an injury that’s been nagging Philly fans for a decade.

— Matt Mullin

The MLB playoffs begin Friday, and every wild card game will air on either ESPN, ESPN2, or ABC.

The St. Louis Cardinals will play whichever team ends up with the third and final wild-card spot, which currently is the Phillies. But it remains possible for the Phillies to overtake the San Diego Padres for the second wild-card spot.

Here’s the MLB postseason TV schedule:

* If necessary

— Rob Tornoe

What channel is Phillies-Astros on?

Phillies-Astros is scheduled to begin at 8:10 p.m. on NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Calling the game will be Tom McCarthy and Rueben Amaro, Jr. John Kruk, who hasn’t called a game since Sept. 25, remains safe at his home in Naples, Fla., which was battered by Hurricane Ida.

The game can also be heard on 94.1 WIP, with Scott Franzke and Michael Bourn on the call.

Where can I stream Phillies-Astros?

Phillies-Astros will stream on the NBC Sports app and on the My Teams app, but both require a cable subscription.

The game will also stream on the skinny bundles that carry NBC Sports Philadelphia, which includes fuboTV, YouTube TV, and Hulu + Live TV. All offer a free trial.

If you live outside of the Philadelphia market, you can stream the game on MLB.TV, which offers a seven-day free trial.

— Rob Tornoe