Phillies vs Braves matchup
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Phillies (82-66) face Braves (87-61) at Truist Park, five games back with 14 left.
The series is Philadelphia's last real chance to close the gap on Atlanta.
Background
The Phillies and Braves are meeting again in Atlanta amid the race for NL East supremacy. Philadelphia enters five games behind Atlanta with 14 games remaining, making this weekend one of its final opportunities to gain ground. The Phillies' rotation plans were disrupted when scheduled starter Jesus Luzardo was scratched due to shoulder soreness, leaving the Sept. 12 starter unannounced as of noon.
How it unfolded
- Sep 6, 2026Tyler Mahle pitched six innings against the Phillies; Philadelphia scored two runs, both via error.
- Sep 7, 2026Braves lost 1-0 at Philadelphia.
- Sep 10, 2026Braves beat Tampa Bay 3-1; Alan Rangel pitched for the Phillies.
- Sep 11, 2026Phillies lost 6-5 in 11 innings to the Braves in the series opener, a game delayed by rain until 11 p.m.
- Sep 12, 2026Phillies (82-66) vs Braves (87-61) at Truist Park, first pitch 7:15 p.m. ET; Philadelphia five games back in NL East with 14 games remaining. Jesus Luzardo was scratched due to shoulder soreness, leaving the Phillies' starter unannounced as of 12 p.m.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Philadelphia Sports Now says this game and series are the Phillies' last, best chance to gain ground on Atlanta in the NL East race.
- Caution
- Philadelphia Sports Now advises exercising caution with any related bets because the Phillies' starting pitcher was unannounced as of 12 p.m.
- Expert
- Inquirer columnist David Murphy writes the Phillies shouldn't want to face a Chris Sale-led Braves in a three-game series, though in a longer series they would have a clear starting pitching advantage.
- Analysts
- Covers notes the Braves enter with a five-game lead over the Phillies, making this one of the higher-stakes games on Saturday's slate, and that Philadelphia can stack seven left-handed batters against Mahle for advantageous matchups.
Still unverified
The Phillies' starting pitcher for Sept. 12 was unannounced as of 12 p.m.; Luzardo was scratched due to shoulder soreness. The boxscore lists the Phillies' probable starter as TBD.