The Atlanta Braves came away from a crucial four-game series in Philadelphia with a split, taking two of four from the Phillies and maintaining their advantage atop the National League East.
Atlanta opened the series Friday night with a 5-2 victory, as veteran left-hander Chris Sale won a marquee pitching matchup against Cristopher Sánchez. Sale allowed two runs over six innings while striking out seven. Ronald Acuña Jr. went 3-for-5 with an RBI, while Mauricio Dubón provided some breathing room with a two-run homer in the eighth. Raisel Iglesias worked a perfect ninth for his 30th save.
Philadelphia answered Saturday with a 4-2 win. Zack Wheeler held Atlanta to one run and three hits over six innings while striking out nine. Kyle Schwarber hit his 41st home run of the season, while Acuña and Austin Riley supplied Atlanta’s offense with solo homers. The victory pulled Philadelphia back within four games of the Braves.
The Braves responded with one of the biggest wins of the series Sunday, rallying for a 5-4 victory. Acuña delivered a game-tying three-run homer for the 1,000th hit of his major-league career, and Riley followed with the go-ahead RBI triple as Atlanta erased a late deficit. The win pushed the Braves’ division lead back to five games.
Monday’s Labor Day finale turned into a pitchers’ duel. Braves starter Grant Holmes kept Philadelphia scoreless through six innings, but the Atlanta offense couldn’t solve Jesús Luzardo. Luzardo tossed his first career complete game, striking out 12 and allowing only two hits. Schwarber finally broke the scoreless tie with his league-leading 43rd homer in the bottom of the eighth, giving Philadelphia a 1-0 victory and a split of the four-game set.
Despite missing an opportunity to win the series, Atlanta accomplished an important goal by going 2-2 on the road against its closest division rival. The Braves finished the series 85-59, four games ahead of the 81-63 Phillies in the NL East.
The division rivals won’t have to wait long for another meeting. Philadelphia travels to Atlanta this weekend for a three-game series at Truist Park, giving the Braves another opportunity to strengthen their grip on the NL East as the regular season enters its final weeks.
