Max Kepler homered and drove in five runs and Bryce Harper also went deep as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the New York Mets 11-3.

The Mets haven’t collapsed like this since their historic choke job in 2007 when they missed the playoffs after holding a seven-game NL East lead over the Phillies with 17 to play. Eighteen years later,

The term "magic number" is pivotal in baseball, representing the combination of wins needed by a team and losses by its closest competitor to clinch a playoff spot, division title, or wild card berth. For the Phillies, this number reflects their current standing and the urgency to maintain their lead.

Here's a look at the Phillies run to October and beyond. Don't miss a thing: Sign up for our Daily Briefing to get top Delaware news delivered to your inbox What is the Phillies magic number?

Over at FanGraphs, Michael Baumann invents an oddly named stat to evaluate Milwaukee’s chances of winning their first World Series. What’s it like to pitch to Aaron Judge? Hear it from the hurlers themselves. The sweep in Queens has been avenged. Speaking of queens and other such nobility: next up for the Phillies is a Royal visit.