ST. LOUIS — All of them were there except one. The goggles were donned and the music was on and the corks were popping in a 12-gun salute. The postseason's biggest wild cards were gathered in the back of the visitor's clubhouse waiting for the word go. A few minutes after 11 p.m., a half hour after the Phillies recorded the biggest final out in the last 11 years of their franchise, the toastmaster arrived. Wearing a Red October T-Shirt and a hat cocked slightly to the side, Rob Thomson grabbed a bottle of champagne and looked at the semicircle of players who had gathered around him.
He spoke in his usual even tone, his voice just audible enough. He talked about the team they had beaten, and the way they had beaten them. He talked about their defense and their pitching and their unselfish at-bats: the pitches taken, the bunts laid, the runners moved along.
Phillies sweep Cardinals behind Aaron Nola; Braves next in NLDS
