The Phillies wouldn’t have qualified for the playoffs using last year’s rules, so that they were in the World Series at all is remarkable. But how they lost will stick with them.
HOUSTON — The Astros popped champagne. The Phillies forlornly popped open some beers, down the hall yet a world away, a clubhouse’s worth of sad Coors Light and Bud Heavy. After a month punctuated by the kind of alcohol consumption that requires safety goggles and protective coverings, the roster suddenly had to get reacquainted with drinks meant for consolation rather than celebration.