TheAtlanta Braves sealed a series winagainst the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night with a 12-2 domination of the hated rival. After falling behind 1-0 on an early Bryce Harper homer, it was all Atlanta the rest of the way. The Braves hold the season tiebreaker over Philadelphia and now holds a six-game lead that should all but put away the division for the Braves. There are only 13 games remaining, and it is impossible to believe the Phillies are going ot be able to climb this hill unless Atlanta were to suffer a complete collapse.
After this series, the Braves will face the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, and Miami Marlins in three-game sets to end the year. Each of these are very winnable matchups with the Cubs being the only roster that appears to offer any real threat.
With this in mind, Saturday night's domination felt so much larger than one game, but appeared to wrap up the National League East. It was more than one game in the standings, but a statement that felt to slay old demons with a Philly roster that, in recent history, had gotten the best of the Braves when the season mattered most.
Philadelphia authored Atlanta's postseason exit in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons on the heels of the Braves' 2021 World Series run. Both postseason failures were defined by the Phillies offering more timely hits and having a sense of urgency and energy that eluded Atlanta.
Braves Appear to Claim National League East in Defining 12-2 Win Over Phillies
Each of the past two series with the Phillies, a combination of Ronald Acuna Jr., Drake Baldwin, Ha-Seong Kim, and great pitching, has flipped this script. It was Philadelphia appearing dead and without answers, while the Braves took advantage and claimed a clear mental edge over a roster they could face yet again in a potential postseason matchup.
Having not only the advantage of having a series go through Atlanta, but also the knowledge you have gotten the best of this Philly roster when the season mattered most, cannot be discounted. Not every victory is created equal, and this series has been a prime example of that.
Fans can only hope that Sunday offers a series sweep and Atlanta finishing off any hopes that might remain for the Phillies when it comes to an improbable run. Now, the Braves can shift their focus to the race for one of the NL's top two seeds and a chance to escape playing in the wildcard round.
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