The Phillies made it to October the hard way, hanging on through Game 162 and escaping an ugly September that nearly knocked them out. Now they get another shot at the Braves in a best-of-three Wild Card series, with all three possible games set for Truist Park in suburban Atlanta.
Philadelphia enters the postseason after finishing 10-14 in September and fending off a late push from the Diamondbacks for the final spot in the National League field. It’s the Phillies’ fifth straight trip to the playoffs, but they still haven’t won a series since reaching the NLCS in 2023.
Atlanta has its own October baggage. The Braves are 0-3 in postseason series since winning the World Series in 2021, and they missed the playoffs entirely last year.
They also didn’t exactly surge into this matchup, going .500 in September, though they did avoid the stress of a late division race. The Braves won nine of the 13 meetings between the clubs this season.
Here’s the schedule and how to watch the series:
Braves vs. Phillies schedule
The best-of-three series between the Braves and Phillies will be played entirely at Truist Park in suburban Atlanta.
Thursday’s schedule will be based on how many Game 3s are necessary.
- If necessary
Where to watch Braves vs. Phillies
DIRECTV, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Other streaming options include fubo, which also offers a free trial, and Peacock.
MLB postseason schedule 2026
Tue., Sept. 29 - Wild Card series begin
Sat., Oct. 3 - Division Series begin
Sun., Oct. 11 - NLCS begins
Mon., Oct. 12 - ALCS begins
Fri., Oct. 23 - World Series begins
In Other News...
Braves Roster Choice Just Changed This Phillies Wild Card Matchup
The Braves made their Wild Card Series roster move with the kind of caution that usually comes with October baseball, adding Luke Williams and Rowdy Tellez from Gwinnett while carrying 11 pitchers into the short series. It is a setup that says plenty about how Atlanta expects to play this round, with a roster built around starting pitching and selective use of the bench rather than a long, rolling relief plan.
For the Phillies, the opponents roster construction matters because it shapes how the matchup may unfold from the first game on. Atlanta is also expected to be without Martin Perez and Lane Thomas because of injuries, which trims some of the depth the Braves would normally lean on in a tight playoff series. The result is a familiar October tension for Philadelphia, one where the numbers on the roster card may matter almost as much as the names in the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Face Immediate Pressure After Game 1 Gamble Backfires
Jess Luzardo gave the Phillies a chance to settle in, working well enough to keep the opener tight against Atlanta before the game turned on a sequence the club cant afford to relive. Don Mattingly chose to lean hard on Jhoan Duran in Game 1 of the Wild Card Round, asking the closer to cover multiple innings in a high-stakes spot, and the decision looked viable until the game unraveled around a defensive misplay by Trea Turner and the hits that followed.
Austin Rileys game-winning home run finished the Braves comeback and left Philadelphia with an urgent problem as the series shifts forward. Now the Phillies have to win two straight to keep moving, and they may have to do it with Duran either unavailable or not fully right for Game 2, which puts even more pressure on a roster that already spent its best late-game weapon in a night that got away. [Read more 🡒]
Walt Weiss Sends A Clear Message Before Braves Phillies Showdown
The Braves finally locked up the NL East and punched their ticket to the postseason, then celebrated the division win after beating the Astros. It was a familiar kind of finish for a club that has spent the summer chasing another first-place finish, and it sets up a quick turnaround as the Wild Card Series opens Tuesday afternoon.
For Philadelphia, the timing adds another layer to a rivalry that already carries plenty of October weight. Walt Weiss made clear his team is not interested in worrying about the start time or the opponent, only about being ready when the next round begins. However the bracket settles, the Braves have put themselves in position to keep playing, and the Phillies now know the path ahead includes a division rival that sounds prepared for anything. [Read more 🡒]