Philadelphia Phillies clinch NL wild-card berth, head to postseason for second straight year

PHILADELPHIA — Bryce Harper extended his arms as wide as they could stretch and waited for his jubilant Phillies teammates to sock him in the midsection with bottles of bubbly that had been turned into super soakers.J.T. Realmuto used his teeth to gnaw off plastic that enveloped a box of cigars, ready to light the official accessory of any good clubhouse bash. Garrett Stubbs stripped one strap down on his Phillies overalls and danced a few songs away with Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos.There is no wrong way to celebrate a clinch, of course, and the Phillies had plenty of practice with postseason parties after enjoying three of them last year on the way to the World Series.But perhaps the most delightful look belonged to 68-year-old team owner John Middleton. He stood on the soggy carpet in a drenched Phillies hat, T-shirt and shorts. And in his bare feet, the owner who once vowed he would spend “stupid money” to make the Phillies winners again had something else he wanted to say:“I think we’re a better team this year than we were last year,” he said.The Phillies put the National League on notice they are ready for another run at
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