PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- When the Philadelphia Phillies fired Joe Girardi on June 3 after a 22-29 start, this seemed like a dream coming from the Citizens Bank Park parking lots, but, it's reality. The Phillies are four wins away from reaching the World Series.
The San Diego Padres stand in the way of the Phillies' first WS appearance since 2009.
The Padres and Phillies represent the fifth and sixth seeds in the National League, winning the second and third wild card spots, respectively. Only seven times in baseball history has a wild card team won the World Series.
Zack Wheeler threw seven shutout innings, Kyle Schwarber hit a moonshot and the Phillies held on to beat the Padres, 2-0, Tuesday night to take a 1-0 series lead (full recap).
Follow our live blog below for the lineups, live updates and more throughout the day.
Jose Alvarado escapes trouble to secure Phillies' win
With lots of anxiety, Jose Alvarado closed out a 2-0 Phillies win over the Padres in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Tuesday. Zack Wheeler was phenomenal, Kyle Schwarber hit a baseball to the moon and Bryce Harper also homered.
The Phillies are now three wins from the World Series.
Zack Wheeler's night is over after seven innings
Zack Wheeler's night is done after 83 pitches and seven scoreless innings. Wheeler was brilliant, striking out eight and allowing just one hit.
Seranthony Dominguez replaced Wheeler in the eighth inning.
The Phillies are up 2-0.
Schwarber hits 488-foot moonshot to give Phillies 2-0 lead
Kyle Schwarber, welcome to the postseason. Schwarber, the National League's home run king, clubbed his first of the postseason in the top of the sixth inning Tuesday night and it was a Schwarbomb.
Schwarber's homer left the bat at 119.7 mph and traveled 488 feet, according to Statcast.
It was the fourth hardest-hit ball in baseball this season and the longest ball ever hit at Petco Park.
Schwarber's homer is the hardest-hit dinger in the postseason in the Statcast era, per the Phillies.
Schwarber is 2 for 2 with a single, homer and a walk so far in Game 1.
"It definitely felt good. Good pitcher out there, we have to stay on him," Schwarber told FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal from the dugout. "The swing felt good there and hopefully keep it going here."
Bryce Harper's reaction is a whole mood.
The homer gave the Phillies a 2-0 lead.
Bryce Harper homers to give Phillies a 1-0 lead
The shift couldn't have saved that one. Bryce Harper, in his return to San Diego where he broke his thumb in June, took Padres starter Yu Darvish deep with an opposite-field homer in the fourth inning to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead.
Harper has four homers in his last six games.
Harper is just the second player in Phillies history to hit a dinger in three straight playoff games.
Gary Matthews did it too in 1983, per the Phillies.
Harper's homer was hit 104.4 mph and traveled 368 feet, per Statcast.
Wheeler settles in after 24-pitch first inning
After a 24-pitch first inning, Zack Wheeler has settled down in San Diego. Wheeler needed just five pitches to get out of the third inning and 13 pitches total in the second and third innings.
The game remains 0-0 after three innings.
Both pitchers have settled in after shaky first innings.
"Use Stairs in case of emergency" shirt spotted
CBS3 sports anchor and reporter Pat Gallen spotted a fun throwback Phillies T-shirt at Petco Park.
The Phillies had Shane Victorino and Pat Burrell throw out the ceremonial first pitch for Games 3 and 4 in the NLDS.
Victorino and Burrell each had big moments in those games in previous postseason runs.
Stairs' moonshot that still hasn't landed in Los Angeles in 2008 happened in Game 4 of the 2008 NLCS.
Could Stairs be in line to throw out the first pitch on Saturday? We shall see.
Cronenworth robs Harper of RBI single
If this was the 2023 postseason, the Phillies would be up 1-0, but the shift remains legal. Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth robbed Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper of an RBI single with a diving stop.
Check it out below.
Harper smoked the ball 106 mph and it had an expected batting average of .820, according to Statcast.
The game remained scoreless after the top of the first.
Phillies fans run into stars at breakfast in San Diego
The Phillies-Padres NLCS begins Tuesday night in San Diego, and some fans ran into the Fightins while chowing down on the most important meal of the day.
This might be every Philadelphia Phillies fan's dream, running into your favorite players while at breakfast.
That's just what happened to some fans from Mount Laurel, New Jersey who took the trip to the West Coast for the start of the series. Gordon Ernst and his family flew to San Diego on a whim and tell CBS3 they had breakfast with some new friends at Breakfast Republic.
That's right, we're talking about the Fightins. Even professional baseball players like to go out to breakfast.
Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, and J.T. Realmuto were happy to take some pictures with these Philly fans.
Phillies-Padres release lineups for Game 1 of NLCS
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The Phillies on Tuesday night are rolling with the lineup they've mostly used against righties this postseason.
The Phils released its lineup for Game 1 against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday afternoon.
- Kyle Schwarber, LF
- Rhys Hoskins, 1B
- J.T. Realmuto, C
- Bryce Harper, DH
- Nick Castellanos, RF
- Alec Bohm, 3B
- Bryson Stott, SS
- Jean Segura, 2B
- Brandon Marsh, CF
Right-handed pitcher Zack Wheeler (0-1, 2.19) will start for the Phillies.
For the Padres:
- Jurickson Profar, LF
- Juan Soto, RF
- Manny Machado, 3B
- Josh Bell, DH
- Jake Cronenworth, 2B
- Wil Myers, 1B
- Ha-Seong Kim, SS
- Trent Grisham, CF
- Austin Nola
Right-handed pitcher Yu Darvish (2-0, 3.00) starts for San Diego.
Both lineups have produced in the postseason, entering the NLCS as the top two offenses. The Phillies have scored 32 runs to the Padres' 31. San Diego has played one more game than Philadelphia.
The first pitch is scheduled for 8:03 p.m.
Phillies' David Robertson returns from calf injury for NLCS
The Phillies' bullpen will receive a shot in the arm for the National League Championship Series. Reliever David Robertson is on the Phils' roster for their best-of-seven series against the San Diego Padres.
Robertson replaces reliever Nick Nelson on the active roster.
The 37-year-old missed the NLDS after he strained his right calf celebrating a Bryce Harper home run in Game 2 of the Phillies' wild card series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Robertson, acquired from the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline, posted a 2.40 ERA in 58 games in the regular season.
Robertson for Nelson was the only change for the Phillies.
San Diego opted to keep the same roster it used for the NLDS.
The first pitch of the NLCS is scheduled for 8:03 p.m. Tuesday. It's airing on Fox Sports 1.
MLB The Show prediction has Phillies advancing to World Series
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A new prediction has the Phillies advancing to the World Series. MLB The Show's postseason sims has the Phils beating the Padres to advance to the World Series.
MLB The Show says there are over 100 sims per NLCS game.
Game 1 of the Phillies-Padres NLCS is Tuesday night at 8:03 p.m.
Let the trash talking begin...
Is this what Padres trash talk sounds like? The song which aired on Good Morning San Diego is starting to go viral:
Check out this mural created by a local San Diego artist that CBS3's Pat Gallen found:
Phillies Phan Gallery
Ted Barrett to head NLCS umpires, Alfonso Márquez ALCS umps
NEW YORK (AP) — Ted Barrett will be the crew chief for the National League Championship Series, and Alfonso Márquez will head the umpires for the American League series. Brian Knight works the plate for the NL opener, and Barrett will be at first, Adam Hamari at second, Quinn Wolcott at third, Doug Eddings in left, Todd Tichenor in right.
Read the full story here.
The city celebrates the Phils ahead of Tuesday's game
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – One more team, that's all that stands between the Phillies and the World Series. Tuesday night, they take on the San Diego Padres out west in the National League Championship Series.
Games 1 and 2 will be in San Diego before the series shifts back to Philadelphia for games 3 and 4, and game 5 if necessary.
If you're interested in going to a game here in Philadelphia StubHub experts tell us there are still tickets available, but be prepared to pay a pretty penny.
Chopper 3 was over the PECO building Tuesday morning.
The video board has a special message for the Phillies as they begin the series.
And we were at City Hall Tuesday as workers were putting up large Red October banners as the city swells with Phillies pride ahead of Game 1.
And Eyewitness News is in San Diego for the game. Pat Gallen is right alongside the Phillies as they chase down a win to start this series off strong.
NEXT Weather: Cold week ahead
Phillies getting ready to take on San Diego Padres, tickets are pricey
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – One more team, that's all that stands between the Phillies and the World Series. They take on the San Diego Padres out west on Tuesday night in the National League Championship Series.
The Phillies and Padres have similar stories. They were the last two teams to make it into the playoffs in the National League and not many people expected either team to make it this far.
But both have thrived as underdogs, and whoever wins this series will advance to the World Series.
Read more about the Phils getting ready for the game and fans being frustrated about ticket purchases here.