Braves’ NL East lead trimmed to three games as Phillies win nine straight
Atlanta’s margin over Philadelphia has narrowed again entering a September schedule built around seven head-to-head games.
The Braves’ NL East lead is down to three games after Atlanta lost seven of nine before Sunday’s win and Philadelphia ran its winning streak to nine.
Atlanta was 45-21 on June 7, then went 4-13 over the rest of the month. The club rebuilt its edge to 9½ games after reaching 70-45 during an eight-game winning streak, but the Phillies have cut into the lead after a 9-15 July.
The Braves are waiting on pitching reinforcements. Reynaldo López has made a four-inning Triple-A rehab start after a knee injury, while Spencer Schwellenbach’s return from elbow surgery remains uncertain. Spencer Strider is out for the season.
September includes two Braves-Phillies series: four games in Philadelphia from Sept. 4-7, followed by three in Atlanta from Sept. 11-13. The Braves hold a 5-1 season-series edge, with seven meetings left.