⚾ Red October odds

Yo, Friday!

⛅ Partly sunny skies with a high near 77.

🥳 Axios Philadelphia turns 3 today — help us celebrate by becoming a member! Your contribution will support our work and allow us to do more of it.

• Plus, join by midnight tonight and you could win a $100 gift card to a local restaurant. Rules apply.
• Existing members are automatically entered.

Today's newsletter is 868 words, a 3.5-minute read.

Cue the Phillies' new playlist: Red October starts this weekend.

Why it matters: The Phils are looking for redemption in their third-straight playoff appearance after losing the National League Championship Series and World Series in back-to-back years.

State of play: The Phillies will take on the New York Mets at 4:08pm Saturday in Citizens Bank Park for Game 1 of the best-of-five National League Division Series.

• Game 2 is set for 4:08pm Sunday.

Let's be honest: It's World Series or bust.

• Phillies owner John Middleton set that expectation at the start of the season when he said — "I want my f--kin' trophy back."

🗣️ What they're saying: The Phillies have one of the easiest paths to the World Series, per Inquirer columnist David Murphy.

• "The Phillies' biggest strength over the last three years has been their ability to remain in the moment," Murphy says. "The test of these next few days is whether they can remain there."

🧮 By the numbers: The team just secured its first National League Division title under skipper Rob Thomson (and first since 2011).

• The Phillies notched a 95-67 season, their best finish in more than a decade.

👀 And they ended with a winning record against the Mets (7-6).

Between the lines: The Phils have shed their "underdog" status.

• They finished with the second-best record in baseball, earning them a first-round bye — unlike the past two years when they had to battle through the Wild Card series.

Zoom in: Now all eyes are on slugger Bryce Harper — and for good reason.

• "The Showman" has shined at the Bank during the playoffs over the last two years — with a .316 average and 11 homers.
• And Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola will lead the Phillies' potent starting rotation, which ranked 11th in the league in ERA this season.

🎰 Follow the money: FanDuel Sportsbooks had the Los Angeles Dodgers at slightly better odds of winning the National League pennant over the Phils, as of Thursday.

🎶 1 fun thing: The team changed up its post-win playlist this year, tapping Armentani Brothers to curate a new mix.

• The North Philly DJs' 50-minute playlist includes a remix of "Dancing on My Own," the Phils' playoff anthem for the past two years.

🔮 Don't forget: As the fans go, so goes the team, tarot card reader Lexa Lizzi of Philly's South Street Circle told us in March.

📅 What's next: Game 3 is Tuesday, with Games 4 and 5 set for Wednesday and Friday, if necessary.

Share this story

Phillies fans can still score tickets to games in South Philly, but it will cost you.

State of play: The secondary market is the only place to get tickets a day before the first pitch for Game 1.

Cost: Single tickets ranged from $212-$1,512 on SeatGeek, as of Thursday.

• Game 2 tickets were going for $217-$1,207.

🎰 Get lucky: Fans can register for the Phillies postseason ticket lottery through Oct. 12.

🪧 Striking dockworkers are expected to return to work at East Coast ports like Philadelphia's after their union announced last night that a tentative deal has been reached with the United States Maritime Alliance. (Axios)

💰 Eight of the richest Americans call the Philly metro home, per the annual Forbes 400 list. Jeff Yass, CEO of the Bala Cynwyd-based Susquehanna International Group, ranks No. 18.

🍿 The Lightbox Film Center is now based in South Philly's Bok Building and will begin showing films in November. The film center was formerly part of the now-defunct University of the Arts. (WHYY)

💻 Nearly 15,000 Philly students attended a cyber charter school last year, up 55% since 2020-21. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania has quietly become the "cyber charter capital of the nation." (Chalkbeat Philadelphia)

Nearly 150 facilities in the tri-state area practice Responsible Care, the chemical industry's leading safety and sustainability initiative.

The impact: Responsible Care companies have a worker safety rating 4x better than the U.S. manufacturing sector.

Learn more.

Fall foliage colors are starting to pop in Philly.

Why it matters: The splash of color means peak season is drawing near.

State of play: Leaves are beginning to change color in Philadelphia and the southeastern region of Pennsylvania, per the state's weekly fall foliage forecast through Wednesday.

• Bright colors are already starting to appear in certain tree species, like black walnuts, flowering dogwoods, red maples, and sassafras.
• State experts predict the Philly region's peak colors are two to three weeks away.

🚗 For impatient leaf-peepers: More color can be found in the region's northern reaches, like Northampton and Lehigh counties.

• Plus: Several northeastern counties are approaching their best colors, including Monrose, Pike, and Lackawanna.
• Meanwhile, Wayne County is poised to have its best colors this coming week.

What we're watching: Conditions are ripe for Pennsylvania to have one of its best fall foliage seasons in recent years.

• Yes, but: Climate change is impacting when leaves turn and how bright they get.

Share this with a leaf-peeping friend

Former Eagles center Jason Kelce teased a massive possible cameo on the Philly Specials' third Christmas album: Stevie Nicks.

The intrigue: Kelce posted a photo of him and the Fleetwood Mac singer in a recording studio on social media this week.

• "The crossover we didn't know we needed," he said. "Coming soon to a Christmas album near you 👀🎄"

What's next: "A Philly Special Christmas Party" pre-sale orders begin Nov. 1, with a full release set for Nov. 29.

The safety and sustainability of chemical operations and products is a core priority for the chemical industry.

Responsible Care is our industry's commitment to continuously enhance the health and safety of our employees, the communities we operate in and the environment as a whole.

Learn more.

⛱️ Isaac is OOO.

😊 Mike is looking forward to Isaac returning to the team next week.

Today's newsletter was edited by Alexa Mencia.