NL East Has Suddenly Become Within Reach for Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies have been playing some excellent baseball of late, and the team is making a run up the standings.

Following some mixed results to start the season half of the season, the Phillies have now built a ton of momentum. With a win on Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia has now won seven straight games entering Saturday.

The Phillies have been one of the most inconsistent teams in baseball at times and have shown the ability to be one of the best teams in the league and also one of the worst.

To start the season, this was a team that was 10 games under the .500 mark, and there was a ton of panic. However, the decision to move on from Rob Thomson has paid dividends, and they have been a strong group since.

At the trade deadline, some upgrades made by the team helped improve the depth of the organization and have filled some needs. Now, with things firing on all cylinders, Philadelphia’s goals might once again be changing.

Atlanta Braves Within Reach Again

Aug 21, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (1) completes a double play after forcing out Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell (5) in the eighth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Following their bad start to the second half, it appeared like the Braves were going to be running away with the NL East. Atlanta has been a solid team all season, and has controlled the division right from the start.

However, this isn’t the first time that the Phillies have gotten within striking distance for first place in the division, and this time they will be hoping it can be different.

Entering the games on Saturday, Atlanta’s lead in the division has been cut to just four games. The Braves are in the middle of a brutal stretch on their schedule, facing the Milwaukee Brewers this week and then the Los Angeles Dodgers to start next week.

Fortunately, the series against the Dodgers will be at home, but that is a battle between two heavyweights in the NL. The Phillies won’t be playing that level of competition, but they will be getting set for a long West Coast trip.

Philadelphia will be on the road for nine games following their series against the Cardinals. The Phillies will face the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels, and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The first two series against the American League opponents will be favorable matchups for Philadelphia, but the Diamondbacks could present a challenge. Overall, with September quickly approaching, the Phillies have to be pleased with how close they have been able to get to the Braves in the division.

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