If the Phillies complete a miraculous comeback to clinch their third consecutive NL East title this year, it will be largely because of a very strong showing this Labor Day weekend against the Braves.
Currently, the Phillies sit four games back of the Braves for first place in the division. The two teams will face each other seven times in the next ten days, this most important week of the season beginning with a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park.
One of the Phillies or Braves has won every NL East title since 2018, and 26 of 32 division titles since 1993.
So far this season, Philadelphia is 1-5 against Atlanta. Two Braves wins in these next seven games would be enough to give Atlanta the season series, as well as tiebreaker privileges over the Phillies.
But these are two very different teams from the last time they met. They last played each other for three games in Atlanta at the end of April, in which the Braves took two games out of three. Zack Wheeler made his season debut that series, and Phillies manager Rob Thomsonwas fired at its conclusion.
The Phillies were 9-19 then. They are 79-61 now, and 70-42 under interim manager Don Mattingly. The Braves are 83-57 this season, but just 38-36 since June 8. Having entered that day with a season-high 9 ½ game division lead (a mark they again reached on August 12), Atlanta’s lead has been reduced by more than half. The Phillies still control their fate.
This wraparound series begins with a pair of night games Friday and Saturday, and concludes with afternoon games Sunday and Monday. The penultimate homestand of the Phillies regular season begins with a matchup of NL Cy Young contenders, as left-handers Cristopher Sánchez and Chris Sale face off Friday.
Three of the four games will be broadcast locally, while Sunday’s contest will air nationally. Here’s when and where you can watch the series on TV:
- Friday, <a href="https://comicvibe.com/outside-the-box-september-4th-space-elf-anime-sepoy-mutineers-caprine-beastfolk/” title=”Outside the Box – September 4th: Space Elf Anime, Sepoy Mutineers & Caprine Beastfolk”>September 4, at 6:40 p.m. ET: NBC Sports Philadelphia
- Saturday, September 5, at 6:05 p.m. ET: NBC Sports Philadelphia
- Sunday, September 6, at 1:10 p.m. ET: NBC, Peacock
- Monday, September 7, at 1:05 p.m. ET: NBC 10
