Philadelphia Phillies

The Houston Astros spared no expense when it came to celebrating their World Series title this weekend ... TMZ Sports has learned they popped nearly $400,000 worth of 50 Cent's champagne during their postgame party.

We're told the team unloaded just over 250 bottles of the rapper's Le Chemin du Roi Brut ... right after they finished off the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night to win the Fall Classic.

In total, there were 250 bottles of Rose, 10 Magnums of the bubbly, and one, huge 15-liter bottle as well. The final bill for it all came out to $388,750!!

Of course, the 'Stros enjoyed every bit of it ... soaking in it for hours following their 4-1 win in Houston.

Star pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. seemed to get the most out of it though ... kickin' off Houston's epic celebration by coating his teammates in it first.

The Astros will continue the party later on Monday -- their championship parade is slated to go down at around 11 AM CT.

The Astros and Phillies are duking it out in the World Series -- but the players wouldn't have gotten to this point without the passionate support from their lovely partners -- so let's meet them!

Astros ace Justin Verlander's wife, Kate Upton, needs no introduction -- the SI swimsuit model has been by JV's side for the Astros' previous three World Series appearances.

Houston's third baseman Alex Bregman and his wife, Reagan, hope they have another reason to celebrate in a few days ... after welcoming their first child, Knox, in August.

Zach Wheeler has been having quite the season -- and his wife, Dominique, has been cheering for the 32-year-old every step as he tries to help the Phillies secure a championship.

We'd be remiss if we didn't mention Jose Altuve, the fiery, talented second baseman for the Astros, and his wife, Giannina (aka Nina), who've been married since they were teenagers.

Win or lose, Wheeler's teammate, Aaron Nola, will have reason to be happy -- the 29-year-old flame-throwing righty is reportedly marrying his fiancée, Hunter Harrington, next month.

Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos is quickly becoming a fan favorite in Philly for his brilliant defense -- making his wife Jess extremely proud of her hubby.

Several female Phillies fans turned on each other following the team's tough loss to the Astros on Wednesday -- beating the hell out of one another inside a women's bathroom near the stadium.

The chaos at Xfinity Live! -- a popular Phillies watch spot just feet from Citizens Bank Ballpark -- was all captured on video ... showing at least four women decked out in Philadelphia gear going at it in the venue's restroom.

In the clip, you can see hair was pulled, and punches were thrown. At one point during the fracas, two women wrestled MMA-style on the floor.

No word on what caused the fight -- but the potential combo of alcohol and Houston no-hitting the Phillies seem to be the likely powder keg.

We reached out to cops to see if any arrests were made ... but a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Dept. tells us officers were not contacted nor dispatched in reference to the incident.

The women will have only a few hours to lick their wounds ... Game 5 starts at 8 PM ET on Thursday night.

The Phillies let down the FLOTUS in a big way on Wednesday night ... not only losing to the Astros in front of Jill Biden -- but doing so in a historically awful fashion.

Biden hit Citizens Bank Park full of hope for the World Series' Game 4 ... but it didn't take long for her beloved Philly squad to disappoint.

In nine innings, the team didn't record a hit -- marking only the second time EVER that a squad has gone hitless in a Fall Classic game. Philadelphia ended up losing, 5-0.

To her credit, though, Jill -- who's consistently professed her love for Philly sports over the years -- didn't let the lackluster performance ruin her day at the ballpark. She appeared to be in good spirits throughout the evening, and participated in the game's moving Stand Up To Cancer moments of silence.

Bruce Springsteen and Miles Teller, meanwhile, were also in attendance to watch Philadelphia's flop ... with the two catching up for a few seconds before ultimately seeing Houston tie up the series, 2-2.

But, the Phillies are at least not done yet ... there's still three games left to go before it's all over.

Nick Swisher says the Phillies would not be two games away from a World Series title if they had kept Joe Girardi ... telling TMZ Sports the team's new manager, Rob Thomson, is the biggest reason for Philly's success this year.

"If it was Joe Girardi in this position," the former Big Leaguer told us, "I don't think Philly would be in this spot."

The Phils had started the season with Girardi at the end of the bench -- but put him on ice back in June after a disappointing 22-29 start. Thomson then became the interim manager, and the team took off.

Swisher told us he believes none of that ensuing success was a coincidence ... saying Thomson -- who was one of the outfielder's coaches during his time with the Yankees -- is just that good of a honcho.

"Rob Thomson has given that team the freedom to be themselves," Swish said. "He has given them the freedom to go out and play with freeness and be open and authentic."

Swisher clearly believes the guy and his team can close out the Astros this week, too ... telling us with the talent they have, and the fan support in Philly -- two more wins shouldn't be hard to come by.

As for what Swisher's been up to outside of watching this year's Fall Classic -- he's actually launched a new podcast, "The Nick Swisher Show," where he'll be interviewing people from all different walks of life about the importance of positivity.

"On this podcast, man," he told us, "we jump in!"

Most roosters only have eight toes, but this Rooster could end up with seven ... 'cause Miles Teller says he'd consider parting ways with an appendage in exchange for a Phillies World Series win!!

The 'Top Gun' actor and diehard Philly fan joined Guardians pitcher Triston McKenzie and Yankees outfielder Harrison Bader for a quick interview before the Phillies' huge Game 3 win over the Houston Astros ... and was asked what he'd be willing to do to secure his beloved team's third Fall Classic title.

"I feel like you don't need all your toes," Teller joked.

When McKenzie followed up and asked if he was talking about losing several piggies, or just one ... Teller explained his proposed sacrifice should be more than enough.

"Easy buddy, a toe is still important!! One toe is not enough?! Get out of here."

But, in case he doesn't want to walk with a limp for the rest of his life, Teller has another idea.

"Gallbladder, I heard you don't need that."

As for the game, Teller and the Phillies were losing their minds as their team whooped the 'Stros 7-0 ... especially after Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm's dingers.

The Phillies are now up 2-1 in the series ... which means just two more wins before Teller's gotta stick to his word!!

Phillies fans made sure Justin Verlander got anything but a warm welcome when he showed up to the stadium for Game 3 of the World Series ... and the ace returned the favor by flipping them off!!

The playful moment went down when the Houston Astros' team bus made its way to Citizens Bank Park for Monday night's matchup ... and when it passed by a group of Philadelphia backers, JV decided to give the finger.

The fans loved it ... with one person even saying, "That was great!!"

But, once Justin got off the bus, he gave a thumbs up before doubling down on the gesture -- giving the bird once again with a big smile on his face.

"Hey, that's for you!!" Verlander said.

The fans erupted in laughter ... and it's clear the whole interaction was all in good fun.

Phillies fans were phull of beer phollowing their big win over the Padres on Sunday ... with one of them enjoying the suds straight from near the top of a light pole!!!

The wild chugging celebration went down in the streets of Philadelphia ... after the home team punched its ticket to the World Series with a 4-3 victory over San Diego.

You can see in video from the roadways that the crowd was going crazy enjoying its first trip to the big games since 2009 ... especially after one fan climbed a light pole to shotgun a beer.

The dude held on for his life with one arm ... while suckin' down the booze with the other.

The famous Philly Elmo also popped up on Broad Street with the drumline ... getting the crowd even more fired up.

Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata -- who was enjoying a bye this week -- stopped by to join in on the fun too!

The Houston Astros embarrassed the New York Yankees ... and then they danced all over their graves -- bustin' out the brooms AND the booze for an epic locker room celebration.

The party all went down on Sunday night in New York ... after the 'Stros clinched the American League Championship Series, 4-0, with a 6-5 win over the Pinstripes.

Houston's players stayed on the field after the final out to receive their trophy at a ceremony in the middle of the Yankee Stadium diamond ... but then they hit the showers -- and turned up.

The guys grabbed brooms to signify their sweep over Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton ... and grooved to music with champagne well into Monday morning.

Everyone in the locker room got rowdy -- including 73-year-old Dusty Baker, who was spotted holding a bottle in one hand and the ALCS trophy in the other.

Phillies fans lived up to their ruthless reputation on Friday ... chanting "DUI" at Braves star outfielder Marcell Ozuna during Philadelphia's playoff game against Atlanta.

It all went down in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park in Philly -- Ozuna was up for his first at-bat of the afternoon ... when the fans trolled him over his August arrest.

"DUI! DUI! DUI!" the Philly faithful chanted in unison as 31-year-old Ozuna swung at an 81 MPH slider from Phillies' right-hander Aaron Nola.

Ozuna -- a 10-year MLB veteran -- was arrested for DUI after police in Georgia pulled him over for speeding and failing to maintain his lane while on the road.

Ozuna -- in his third season with the Braves -- told police on the scene that he was heading to a party at a nearby nightclub to celebrate his team's win over the Mets earlier.

Ozuna ultimately took responsibility for his actions ... telling the media that he was "disappointed" about the incident and expressing remorse to his teammates and family.

Corey Phelan -- a minor league baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies organization -- passed away after battling cancer. He was only 20 years old.

The team announced the sad news Thursday evening ... saying they are devastated over Phelan's death and described how his "positive presence and selflessness influenced everyone around him".

"Corey is and will always be a special person," Phillies director of player development Preston Mattingly said.

"His smile lit up a room and everyone who came in contact with him cherished the interaction. His memory will live on, especially with the Phillies organization."

The New York native -- who signed with the Phillies org. as an undrafted free agent in August 2020 -- found out about the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in April after he passed out in the shower.

Phelan underwent scans ... and it was determined he had a 9-inch mass in his chest.

The pitcher received chemotherapy treatment at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York after the diagnosis ... and went to visit the team when they played the Mets at Citi Field in May.

"That was one of the best nights ever," Phelan said, "getting to be able to talk with the guys in the locker room, Joe Girardi took me on the field, everyone supportive and nice."

"The whole Phillies organization has been nothing but amazing to me and my family."

Phelan -- who appeared in 9 games with an 0.93 ERA and 1.14 WHIP -- made his last Instagram post 2 weeks ago, saying "Can’t wait to get back out there🙏🏻❤️"

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley was so pissed with Phillies fans on Thursday night, he straight-up screamed at the guys and eventually told them to "shut the f**k up!"

It all went down at Citizens Bank Ballpark during the Reds' tilt with Philadelphia, when at some point during the contest, Fraley had clearly heard enough from chirping Phils fans.

Video from the scene shows Fraley and a man wearing a navy blue shirt that read Philadelphia Fire Department jawing back and forth with each other, exchanging cuss words.

Then, after Fraley told the guy he didn't want a problem with him ... he said to the group of people in the seats, "Shut the f**k up!" before he walked away from the situation.

The fans kept telling Fraley he got the wrong guy, with one man repeatedly yelling, "It wasn't me!"

Jake, however, clearly wasn't buying the explanation, and seemed infuriated over it all. Luckily for all parties, cooler heads prevailed before things escalated.

Make some room in Cooperstown for Justin Crawford in about two decades -- 'cause Johnny Damon says the Philadelphia Phillies' top draft pick is about to have a MONSTER MLB career!!

Damon -- who used to play against Justin's father, Carl Crawford, in The Show -- made the guarantee to TMZ Sports while out at an event in NYC earlier this month.

"He'll probably steal 500 bases," Damon said of Justin, "hit a couple hundred home runs. Just be a menace to his opponents throughout the years."

Justin was officially taken by the Phils with the #17 overall pick in last month's MLB draft -- and because of his skill set and famous father pedigree, everyone's assuming he's got a bright future ahead of him.

But, Damon, who had to try to get Carl off the base paths for years when the two were AL East rivals in the early 2000s, took it one step further -- and said he's expecting flat-out, Hall-off-Fame-level greatness from the 18-year-old.

"I'm happy for Carl," Johnny said. "And I know his son is going to have a great Major League career."

Pete Rose took the field in Philly for the first time in a long time -- which was quickly met with criticism after how he responded to questions about old allegations of statutory rape.

The controversial baseball legend --  who's been effectively banned from the game for life after it was discovered he gambled on matchups while playing -- was trotted out Sunday at Citizens Bank Park, where the org was honoring the 1980 WS team ... including himself.

He got a mixed bag response -- a standing O and lots of cheers, but some boos too.

Mind you, this was supposed to happen a few years ago -- but plans were scrapped after a woman claimed she'd had sex with PR while she was just 14 or 15 in the 1970s.

Rose admitted they had sex while on the Reds, but said he thought she was 16 -- the legal age of consent in Ohio -- and insisted they never left state lines ... so, presumably, it was all kosher, from his POV. That story torpedoed his would-be ceremony in 2017 ... but on Sunday, when it resumed, a reporter asked him about those allegations anew, and it didn't go well.

Inquirer reporter Alex Coffey tweeted, "I asked Pete Rose what he would say to people who say his presence here sends a negative message to women. His response: 'No, I’m not here to talk about that. Sorry about that. It was 55 years ago babe.'"

Of course, that got backlash almost immediately. Coffey further expanded, later saying Rose attempted to apologize to her for the earlier interaction ... but that, too, was seemingly botched. PR reportedly said to her, "Will you forgive me if I sign 1000 baseballs for you?"

Coffey goes on to say that when he was again asked about the old rape claims and questions about it, he reportedly said ... "I'm going to tell you one more time. I'm here for the Philly fans. I'm here for my teammates. I'm here for the Phillies organization. And who cares what happened 50 years ago."

One last gem from Rose ... "You weren't even born. So you shouldn't be talking about it, because you weren't born. If you don't know a damn thing about it, don't talk about it."

Joe Girardi is out in Philadelphia ... the Phillies just canned the manager after the team's disappointing 22-29 start.

The team announced the move Friday morning, revealing bench coach Rob Thomson will replace the 57-year-old.

"It has been a frustrating season for us up until this point, as we feel that our club has not played up to its capabilities," president of baseball operations David Dombrowski said in a statement.

"While all of us share the responsibility for the shortcomings, I felt that a change was needed and that a new voice in the clubhouse would give us the best chance to turn things around."

The move is very early -- there's still more than 100 games left in the season -- but the Phillies are already 12 games behind the first-place Mets in the National League East division.

The Phils were a favorite to win the division this year ... after they shelled out huge contracts to Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber this offseason.

"I believe we have a talented group that can get back on track," Dombrowski said, "and I am confident that Rob, with his experience and familiarity with our club, is the right man to lead us going forward."

Girardi was hired by the Phillies in 2019 and never made the playoffs with him as headman.

Take notes, 50 Cent, Dr. Fauci and Steve Aoki ... Miles Teller showed exactly how a first pitch should be done on Wednesday -- throwing a perfect strike before the Phillies game!

The "Top Gun: Maverick" star was at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia for the Phils' "Top Gun" night ... and the team allowed him to toe the rubber for the game's ceremonial first pitch.

And, Teller didn't disappoint while on the mound -- ripping a fastball right down the middle to Phillies legend Ryan Howard!!!

Of course, the throw shouldn't surprise many ... 35-year-old Teller is a huge baseball guy -- and has previously said he might have picked a pro career on the diamond over an acting one if given the choice back in high school.

Teller told local media after the throw that he used some advice from Phillies star Nick Castellanos to complete the toss -- explaining the outfielder told him, "let it eat."