Final push: Braves hold a 4-game advantage in the NL East with 18 games to go.

Braves Update: Series Split and Upcoming Matchups

ATLANTA, Ga. – The Braves split their recent four-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies, which allowed them to maintain a four-game lead in the NL East with just 18 games left in the season. Despite this setback, Atlanta has secured the season series against Philadelphia, holding the head-to-head tiebreaker should both teams finish with identical records.

Upcoming Series Against the Tampa Bay Rays

The Braves gear up for a three-game series starting Tuesday against the American League-leading Tampa Bay Rays (85-58), followed by another matchup with the Phillies this weekend, which will be their final regular-season series.

Pitching matchups include:

• Tuesday, 7:15 p.m.
  RHP AJ Smith-Shawver (0-1, 7.13 ERA) vs. RHP Freddy Peralta (7-11, 4.96 ERA)

• Wednesday, 7:15 p.m.
  RHP Reynaldo Lopez (4-3, 3.64 ERA) vs. RHP Griffin Jax (6-10, 3.82 ERA)

• Thursday, 12:15 p.m.
  LHP Martin Perez (8-9, 3.25 ERA) vs. RHP Nick Martinez (14-4, 3.04 ERA)

AJ Smith-Shawver will kick off the series, while Martín Pérez is slated to pitch in the finale. Reynaldo López, returning from a knee injury, is set for Wednesday’s start and will need to be activated from the injured list.

To accommodate this, Bryce Elder, who has been nursing a knee issue, will temporarily shift to the bullpen, allowing the team to bolster its starting pitching depth.

Chris Sale is confirmed to start the series opener against the Phillies on Friday.

Hitters to Watch

• Braves: Ronald Acuña Jr. is a key player to monitor. He’s showing impressive form with a 1.094 OPS over the last 12 games and recently hit a pivotal home run against the Phillies, reminiscent of his MVP-winning performance.

• Rays: Junior Caminero leads Tampa Bay with 38 home runs this season and has a home run against Smith-Shawver, despite limited encounters. Additionally, Yandy Díaz has been performing well with a .830 OPS against Martín Pérez and 12 hits in 30 at-bats against him.

How to Watch

Fans can catch the Braves games through Gray Media, which will simulcast 25 games for free via local television in 26 markets across the Southeast. For more details on broadcast times and channels, visit Gray Media’s website.

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