Kyle Schwarber, JT Realmuto reversed weeks of horrific Phillies vibes in 2 beautiful clinch moments

The Philadelphia Phillies are headed to the playoffs. Making that statement at the start of September would have been viewed as a formality, considering the Phillies had been one of the best teams in baseball since the trade deadline. Things took a dramatic turn over the past few weeks, and entering a fateful game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, the vibes weren't great.

It felt like the result of the collapse was going to mean the Phillies not only fumbled away their playoff run, and beyond that, would be forced to signal a culture change this offseason. There are still questions that will need to be answered this winter (whenever it arrives), but on Sunday, faced with a win-and-in scenario, the Phillies had a much-needed laugher against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Phillies got the scoring started in the first inning, but it was in the second inning where the relief of the moment was truly felt. JT Realmuto's double ignited a three-run outburst for the Phillies in the second, and after weeks of the offense looking lifeless, it felt like a weight had been lifted. That broke an 0-for-eternity streak for Realmuto that rivaled only the late days of Ryan Howard's career in modern Phillies history.

Phillies finally got perfect ending to weeks of misery from Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto

There is some level of irony that it was Realmuto to come through in that moment. Last offseason, the Phillies and Realmuto were in a starting contest with the organization all but calling the veteran's bluff as spring training approached. After a failed pass at Bo Bichette, the Phillies quickly made nice with Realmuto.

It felt like a line-in-the-sand moment for the organization, as they tried to etch out one final run with their current core. Often times, baseball is filled with moments of poetic justice, and that certainly feels like what was at play for Realmuto on Sunday.

Not be outdone, the pulse of the Phillies, Kyle Schwarber, had a moment in the second inning that also couldn't be ignored. Schwarber's double in the second frame scored a pair, and in that moment, weeks of frustration were discarded with the 33-year-old's celebration at second base.

The rest, as they say, was history. Sure it wouldn't be a Phillies game without at least one hiccup from the bullpen - shoutout to Alex McFarlanes' two-run performance in the seventh inning - but after weeks of panic, the Phillies will be playing the Atlanta Braves in the NL Wild Card round.

That, in itself, brings on a series of questions that the Phillies may not be equipped to answer, but that can be a problem for Monday morning.

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