Sep 29, 2026 · 40 min · 11 segments
Yet another chapter in the rivalry between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies will be written in the Wild Card round as the postseason begins at Truist Park on Tuesday. Grant McAuley…
Grant McAuleyHost
Now, it took a while for the picture to really come into focus in the National League.
In September, the Phillies entered the month hoping to somehow unseat the Braves and win the National League East.
The Braves, though, were up to that challenge, splitting a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park and then took two out of three at Truist Park and pushed the Phillies back to an arm's distance.
And then for these two teams, over the final three or so weeks of the month, We saw each of them go through their own version of struggles, but I would say that the Phillies were dealt a pretty tough hand as they were fighting until the very last day of the season to punch their ticket to October.
But in order to get to the postseason, the Phillies essentially had to empty everything out over the final weekend to keep the Arizona Diamondbacks, who got red hot in the final week, from overtaking them for the final wild card in the National League.
And all of that craziness in the final 48 or so hours of the season is what has set up this rematch between the Braves and the Phillies.
As I mentioned, Atlanta won the NLE, securing it by taking 4 of 7 from the Phillies in September and 9 of 13 in the season series overall.
The Braves won the season series against the Phillies for the fifth time in six years, but as we know, there are a lot of narratives that go into the rivalry between these two clubs, and none may be bigger for Braves fans who are feeling some kind of way about this rematch than being unable to topple the Phillies in a postseason series.
The Braves had overtaken the Giants with a tremendous stretch run of historic proportions to win the National League West at the time because, yes, if you're into the baseball history, the Braves used to be in the NL West.
The Braves, they had a little bit of fight in them early, but the Phillies overtook them and eventually went to the World Series where they would lose to the Toronto Blue Jays, which is exactly what the Braves had done the year before.
So there are a lot of things that seem like they rhyme when you start writing about these two teams in October.
But there was nothing fun about 2022 or 2023, all series losses that stung Braves teams that appeared poised to do bigger things.
All three of those teams, 93, 2022, and 2023, had won 100 games and were division champs, but they could not get past the wildcard Phillies in 22 and 23 and the NLE's champion Phillies of 1993.
But Philadelphia, as I talked about, had to fight for its life to even be here in the postseason.
They held off the Diamondbacks' late charge with a win on the final day of the season.
But in order to do that, Don Mattingly and company had to basically use up their entire pitching staff.
They do get Jesus Lozardo coming off the I.L. He'll get to start in Game 1 against Chris Sale, who we'll hear from a little bit later in the show.
Aaron Nola, for some number of innings, should factor into Game 2, and the real patchwork will begin as they will throw their entire staff at the Braves.
Now, it took a while for the picture to really come into focus in the National League.
In September, the Phillies entered the month hoping to somehow unseat the Braves and win the National League East.
The Braves, though, were up to that challenge, splitting a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park and then took two out of three at Truist Park and pushed the Phillies back to an arm's distance.
And then for these two teams, over the final three or so weeks of the month, We saw each of them go through their own version of struggles, but I would say that the Phillies were dealt a pretty tough hand as they were fighting until the very last day of the season to punch their ticket to October.
But in order to get to the postseason, the Phillies essentially had to empty everything out over the final weekend to keep the Arizona Diamondbacks, who got red hot in the final week, from overtaking them for the final wild card in the National League.
And all of that craziness in the final 48 or so hours of the season is what has set up this rematch between the Braves and the Phillies.
As I mentioned, Atlanta won the NLE, securing it by taking 4 of 7 from the Phillies in September and 9 of 13 in the season series overall.
The Braves won the season series against the Phillies for the fifth time in six years, but as we know, there are a lot of narratives that go into the rivalry between these two clubs, and none may be bigger for Braves fans who are feeling some kind of way about this rematch than being unable to topple the Phillies in a postseason series.
The Braves had overtaken the Giants with a tremendous stretch run of historic proportions to win the National League West at the time because, yes, if you're into the baseball history, the Braves used to be in the NL West.
The Braves, they had a little bit of fight in them early, but the Phillies overtook them and eventually went to the World Series where they would lose to the Toronto Blue Jays, which is exactly what the Braves had done the year before.
So there are a lot of things that seem like they rhyme when you start writing about these two teams in October.
But there was nothing fun about 2022 or 2023, all series losses that stung Braves teams that appeared poised to do bigger things.
All three of those teams, 93, 2022, and 2023, had won 100 games and were division champs, but they could not get past the wildcard Phillies in 22 and 23 and the NLE's champion Phillies of 1993.
But Philadelphia, as I talked about, had to fight for its life to even be here in the postseason.
They held off the Diamondbacks' late charge with a win on the final day of the season.
But in order to do that, Don Mattingly and company had to basically use up their entire pitching staff.
They do get Jesus Lozardo coming off the I.L. He'll get to start in Game 1 against Chris Sale, who we'll hear from a little bit later in the show.
Aaron Nola, for some number of innings, should factor into Game 2, and the real patchwork will begin as they will throw their entire staff at the Braves.
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