PHILADELPHIA—The Philadelphia Phillies didn’t clinch a playoff spot until the last series of the regular season.
It was the final playoff spot in the National League.
Then the sixth-seeded Phillies swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the wild-card round, and now they need just one victory to oust the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of the NL Division Series on Saturday afternoon.
The host Phillies earned a 9–1 win Friday and are on the verge of their first trip to the NL Championship Series since 2010.
In a 1–for–18 slump entering Game 3, Rhys Hoskins snapped out of it with a three-run home run in a six-run third inning….