The top of the National League East just played to a stalemate in Philadelphia, with the visiting Atlanta Braves and the hosting Phillies splitting a wild four-game set two wins apiece. Walt Weiss’ Braves still left Citizens Bank Park with the same four-game division lead they walked in with. Atlanta’s got the division in hand, but the baseball calendar is winding down, and these two are far from done.
Acuña Jr. Is Absolutely *On Fire* Again
This dude’s got that spark back, and it couldn’t come at a better time. The most consequential swing of the series came Sunday afternoon via the suddenly en fuego Ronald Acuña Jr. With the Braves down three and a pair on, the electrifying outfielder tied things up with a three-run, 100.5 mph crowd-silencer off Philly reliever Alex McFarlane. He absolutely tattooed a four-seamer into the seats.
Remember the struggles? It’s been a stop-and-start year for Acuña, twice pushed to the IL due to left hamstring tightness. As recently as last week, his numbers looked underwhelming. Fastballs, especially those up and above the strike zone, were giving him fits. But then Wednesday against Washington, he took a heater out for just the second time all year. A preview of what was coming, no doubt. In this Philly series? Acuña went 7-for-15 with two doubles and two homers. On Saturday, his blast off a Zack Wheeler sweeper prompted the veteran hurler to toss some serious shade, saying, “Our guy just rounds the bases , who hits 50 here,” referring to Kyle Schwarber. Acuña’s answer? That dramatic long ball the *very next day*. Let the bat do the talking! And get this: Monday’s loss, ninth inning, one out, full count. He took three elevated fastballs from a dialed Jesús Luzardo before spitting on a back-foot slider to draw a huge free pass. Luzardo ultimately stranded him, but man, Acuña is locked in right now. Philly hopes he cools off before they meet again.
Philly’s Lefties Muzzle Atlanta’s Power Bats
While Acuña was doing his thing, the Phillies’ pitching staff absolutely *owned* Atlanta’s typically dangerous left-handed swingers. They combined for a measly 10-for-59 with just two doubles and zero homers during the four-game set. That’s rough, right? Drake Baldwin was a relatively powerless 5-for-18. Michael Harris II managed only two singles. Matt Olson? Just one knock and one walk in 15 trips to the dish. Brutal. Big credit to Philly’s magnificent left-handed tandem: Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo. They kept those same-sided swingers completely shut down. Sánchez has been brilliant all season, no surprise there. And Luzardo? He owns the lowest ERA in the National League since June 1 (2.01) and delivered a masterclass complete-game performance earlier this season.
What’s next? Three more regular-season games remain next weekend in Georgia. And yeah, October might just bring another rendezvous. The division is Atlanta’s to lose, but Philly clearly isn’t backing down. You can bet these teams are ready for the next showdown.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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