Nothing is guaranteed, but even with seven head-to-head games left to go against the second-place New York Mets, the Phillies are on the verge of clinching their first NL East title since 2011.
The magic number, as of Friday, Sept. 13, is down to nine. The lead in the division is at eight.
So when could the Phillies pop champagne again? The Phillies will likely reserve the big celebration for the division clincher. They could clinch a postseason berth before the division — the magic number for the postseason is eight — but any celebration before the division title is wrapped up will likely be a modest one.