Holy cow, Atlanta *finally* got it done! After three decades and then some of absolute postseason frustration against their division rivals, the Braves just walked off the field with a Wild Card series win over the Phillies. On Thursday, they eliminated Philadelphia in Game 3, shattering what’s been a truly dubious streak.
The Weight of History
Man, you gotta feel for Braves fans who’ve watched this rivalry play out in October for what feels like forever. These two have been throwing down since ’94 as division rivals, but when it came to the postseason, Philly always had their number. Seriously, before this year, the Braves had met the Phillies three times in the playoffs, going all the way back to the 1993 NLCS. And every single time? Heartbreak for Atlanta.
Think about ’93: The Phillies were total underdogs but somehow stunned a Braves squad that racked up 104 regular season wins, a team loaded with legends like Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz. Philly took that series 4-2 and punched their ticket to the World Series. Talk about a gut punch to kick off the rivalry’s playoff history!
Reliving the Recent Pain
Then, the rivalry heated up again in 2022. Atlanta, the NL East champs, faced the Wild Card Phillies. What happened? Philly rode that Wild Card momentum straight to a 3-1 series victory in the NLDS, making it to the World Series before the Astros stopped them. And guess what? The *next* year, 2023, it was the exact same story! Braves won the division again, but the Phillies still took ’em down 3-1 in the NLDS. They eventually lost to Arizona in the NLCS, but man, that had to sting for Braves fans seeing their rivals eliminate them *again*.
So yeah, going into this 2026 series, the Braves had three straight unsuccessful tries over 33 years to knock out Philly in the playoffs. Three times they had the chance, and three times they came up short. It was looking like a real mental block, you know?
Breaking the Streak!
But not this time, folks. NOT THIS TIME! The Braves finally broke through in the 2026 NL Wild Card series. They went head-to-head with the Phillies and this time, *they* came out on top, winning the series 2-1. And who was the man on the mound sealing the deal for Atlanta? None other than Chris Sale! He sent the Braves right into the NLDS.
This wasn’t just another win. This was Atlanta finally eliminating the Phillies from the postseason for the first time ever. You know that had to feel good, like a massive weight lifted off their shoulders. Thirty-three years is a long time to wait for that kind of satisfaction.
So, the mission is accomplished against Philly. But the road doesn’t get any easier for the Braves. Their reward for finally getting past their division rivals? A date with the Dodgers in the NLDS. That’s gonna be a must-watch series, no doubt about it. Can they keep this momentum rolling?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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