On May 9 , the Phillies took sole possession of the best record in the majors , a position that they would hold for the rest of the regular season . May was their second-worst month record-wise ( following September ) — they did not have many winning or losing streaks . However , the Phillies ' game against rival New York Mets on May 1 was an unforgettable one , although they lost 2 – 1 in 14 innings . The Mets ' Daniel Murphy was batting as a pinch-hitter against Phillies ' reliever Ryan Madson when the fans started chanting " U-S-A ! " Later , it was determined that the chants were in response to the news that al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden , the mastermind of the September 11 attacks , had been killed by United States special operations forces in Abbottabad , Pakistan . Mike Lopresti of '' USA Today '' said that the Phillies ' rivals " was a perfect fit " when the news broke . The Phillies finished May with a 34-22 record
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
2011 Philadelphia Phillies season