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The presence of Hunter Pence made the Phillies fifth straight NL East championship seem fresh.
Pence, a key midseason addition, became a focal point of the postgame champagne celebration after the Phillies beat the Cardinals 9-2 on Saturday night to clinch another division title. Many of the best photos in the slide show involve Pence, who will be experiencing his first playoff appearance in the majors.
"I've waited for this moment a long time," said Pence, the All-Star outfielder who joined Philadelphia in a trade from last-place Houston on July 29.
"It's incredible, and I'm enjoying the moment. We've got a lot of work to do still. The expectation is to win the World Series, but this is one of the steps you gotta make, and to me it's my first time, so this is great."
The Phillies, who are 98-52 and already had clinched a playoff spot, became the second team to win a division title. The Detroit Tigers clinched the AL Central on Friday night.
Photogs from the Associated Press, Getty Images and U.S. Presswire got most of these shots (with a couple of TV screen caps thrown in). Enjoy the show, and don't forget to eat.
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