The Phillies and Braves are right in the thick of a series that could shake up the NL East, and Saturday added another layer to the tension.
Atlanta has held the upper hand for most of the season, but Philadelphia has stayed close enough to keep the race alive. With both teams trying to steer clear of the first round of the MLB playoffs, every game in this weekend set carries real weight. As MLB.com’s Theo DeRosa put it, “By Monday afternoon, the 2026 National League East race could be flipped on its head -- or over completely,”
One of the brighter developments for Atlanta has been Ronald Acuna Jr. finally catching fire. His season has been interrupted by injuries again, including 53 missed games, but September has brought better results at the plate.
Roman Janeiro of SI noted that Acuña “is heating up in September, and it's exactly what the Atlanta Braves have been waiting for. Acuña has missed 53 games this season due to injury, and outside of a solid May in which he hit .286 with five home runs, his offensive season has been underwhelming.
That's what makes the calendar flipping to September such a welcome sight. Through the first four games of the month, Acuña is 8-for-18 with two homers, five RBIs and four runs scored,”
On Saturday, Acuna knocked a home run that cut the Phillies’ lead to two runs, then rounded the bases in the style fans have come to expect from him after a big swing. After the game, Phillies starter Zack Wheeler was asked about the celebration and fired back with a pointed remark.
“It's up to him to do what he wants. Our guy just rounds the bases that hits 50 here,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler clearly wasn’t thrilled with the moment, but Acuna has never hidden the joy he brings to the field. When he barrels up a pitch, the celebration usually follows.
In a sport that leans into personality more and more, it’s the kind of flash that can irritate opponents and entertain everyone else. For now, it’s just the latest flashpoint in a Phillies-Braves matchup that already had plenty riding on it.
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Philadelphia is treating the comeback carefully, which makes sense given both the nature of the injury and where Miller still is in his development. For a club that has been waiting to see him back on the field, the encouraging part is simply that he got there at all, even if the organization is clearly focused on easing him in one step at a time. [Read more 🡒]