Overview
- The Braves open the three-game set at Truist Park on Friday with a four-game lead over the Phillies and they hold the season-series tiebreaker, giving Atlanta a cushion in the division race.
- Left-hander Chris Sale will start for Atlanta and has owned Philadelphia this season, going 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA in three prior outings against the Phillies.
- Right-hander Aaron Nola draws the start for Philadelphia after a recent resurgence that includes a 2.31 ERA across his last eight starts.
- Both teams made matchup-driven lineup moves for the opener: the Braves left Ha‑Seong Kim out and returned Ozzie Albies to the lineup, while the Phillies rested Brandon Marsh and benched Bryson Stott, inserting Bryan De La Cruz, Derek Hill and Edmundo Sosa.
- The series matters for playoff positioning because a Braves sweep would greatly widen the gap while a Philadelphia series win would tighten the race, and fans can watch the opener on BravesVision in Atlanta and NBC Sports Philadelphia in the Philadelphia market.