September 07, 2026
It was the biggest regular season series of the year in South Philly, and it didn't disappoint.
The Phillies and Braves split the long series 2-2, but the Phillies kept themselves alive in the race for the division.
Phillies starting pitching showed it can pitch in big games. The rest of the team... they're working on it. Except for Kyle Schwarber. He's just spectacular.
Here are 10 awards for the Phillies and Braves after a memorable four-game holiday series at Citizens Bank Park:
By virtue of their 1-0 win in the series finale, the Phillies stayed three games behind the Braves with 18 games left to play. They have three games left against the Braves next week. I'd plan to watch (the finale should end just before the Eagles season kicks off Sunday). They also are right in the mix for the top Wild card spot as they've kept pace with the Cubs. Get ready for a lot of scoreboard watching the next few weeks.
Philadelphia is chasing the Cubs for the top Wild card spot in the NL — which would give them a home series. They're also in hot pursuit of the Braves, which would give them a potential first-round bye (or home Wild card series).
Each team presents an extra obstacle in these respective pursuits — they will lose both theoretical tiebreakers. The Phillies already faltered against the Cubs earlier this season, which means they need to finish clear of them in the standings to get the NL's No. 4 seed. But they also, thanks to their dramatic loss Sunday, have officially surrendered the NL East tiebreaker too (they lose the season series no matter what not). If the Phillies are tied with Atlanta to end the season they're out of luck. Perhaps the momentum of their impressive 1-0 win Monday will carry them to next week.
After a bit of a slump to start September, Schwarber showed up against Atlanta. Following an 0-for-4 start to the series, he hit homers in the second, third and fourth games of the set, and reached base a total of eight times over the ensuing three games. His 43 homers still lead the majors. And he hit this — a 415 foot rocket that broke a 0-0 stalemate in the bottom of the eighth inning Monday:
GO-AHEAD SCHWARB💣MB
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) September 7, 2026
IS ANYONE SURPRISED pic.twitter.com/Av9aBS1Wj9
Hill hit a triple in Saturday's win, a game that saw him start in the outfield, but he's almost better when he doesn't start. On Sunday Hill hit what would have been a huge insurance run if the bullpen didn't fall apart later, entering as a pinch hitter. Off the bench, Hill has a ridiculous .381 batting average and three homers.
Prior to Sunday afternoon, the Phillies' stud rookie reliever had just one blemish on his entire season — a run allowed in his second appearance back in early August. After 9.1 innings without allowing an earned run. McFarlane surrendered a doozy.
With a 4-1 lead, the newly ascendant setup man quickly had two men on base and threw seven fastballs in a row to Ronald Acuna Jr. That seventh FB knocked him out of the game. Perhaps having some adversity in a big game before the postseason will help to battle test McFarlane, who will absolutely be key in any successful playoff run. We'll see how he responds the next time he pitches.
Anyone but Acuna. The Braves superstar outfielder had himself a series against Philly, mashing Phils pitching for seven hits, two homers and six RBI in the first three games — none more painful than the aforementioned dinger he hit to tie things with McFarlane pitching in the eighth Sunday:
“They boo me every time and I enjoy that. I love the fans from Philly because they boo me. So that's motivation.”
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) September 6, 2026
Ronald Acuña Junior has 6 RBIs in this series against the Phillies. He had his slowest home run trot of the season today after his game tying 3 run HR. Phillies fans…
McFarlane wasn't the only perpetrator:
• On Friday, with an easily solvable one-run deficit, Orion Kerkering gave up a two-run homer in the eighth to dampen comeback hopes
• On Saturday, Jonathan Bowlan gave up a solo shot in the seventh, but the bullpen behind him hung on in the 4-2 win.
• We documented McFarlane's bad inning on Sunday already.
• Also on Sunday, with the game tied at 4-4, closer Jhoan Duran gave up a leadoff double to Ozzie Albies and a one-out triple to Austin Riley and was tagged with his fifth loss of the season.
• On Monday.... the bullpen had the day off. More on that in a bit.
The Phillies four starters over this long holiday weekend were magnificent, combining for four quality starts and what — with a consistent offense — would be four wins.
• Cris Sánchez was interestingly the worst of the bunch, though he did deliver a quality start with six innings of three run baseball in the series opener. He was out-dueled by another Cy Young hopeful, Chris Sale in the 5-2 Phillies loss.
• Zack Wheeler struck out nine over six innings Saturday, allowing one run and earning his 12th win of the season.
• Aaron Nola out-dueled Tyler Mahle with seven spectacular innings of four-hit baseball Sunday — that would be wasted when McFarlane coughed up the three-run lead.
• More on Jesús Luzardo in a second — he gets his own award.
When Bryce Harper walked in the first inning Monday (and was stranded on base), the team had reached base with a free pass for the 40th consecutive game. Remember years ago, when they lost to the Diamondbacks in the NLCS and everyone was chirping about their chase rate? The offense has looked totally transformed over the last month and a half.
They have the third highest walk rate and second lowest strikeout rate in the majors and Harper leads the league in BBs. The combination of Harper's commitment to patience and the arrival or the phenom at the plate that is Luis Arráez (he has just four total strikeouts with the Phillies) has certainly given this lineup tons of chances to score.
Best for last, Luzardo, had perhaps his best outing ever — striking out 12 Braves and shutting them down over all nine innings. It was an absolute sparkling gem. He didn't allow his second hit until the eighth (the Phils defense erased it with a double play). He trotted out in the ninth to the tune of a standing ovation and slammed the door shut for an epic complete game shutout. He's the best pitcher on the entire team right now (and in all of baseball?).
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