# The Braves just closed the door on the Phillies > Two blown games in Atlanta pushed Philadelphia out of the division race and into a scramble for the top Wild Card seed. - Title: The Braves just closed the door on the Phillies · PhillyVoice - Summary: Two blown games in Atlanta pushed Philadelphia out of the division race and into a scramble for the top Wild Card seed. The Phillies still have a playoff… - Keywords: phillies, mlb, nl east, bullpen, wild card, news, local, Braves, just, closed, door, PhillyVoice - Source: PhillyVoice — https://phillyvoice.com/winners-losers-phillies-braves-nl-east-standings-wild-card-cubs-news-analysis-bryce-harper-bullpen-blown-saves - Published: 2026-09-13T20:32:21.047+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: phillies, mlb, nl east, bullpen, wild card, news, local ## A weekend they had to win Philadelphia needed at least two of three in Atlanta to keep the division alive. They took one, and the late rally on Sunday came far too late to matter. > the damage had already been done ## Harper kept hitting Two hits in the 6-5 opener, a solo homer during Saturday's 12-2 loss, two more hits Sunday plus a go-ahead run scored. He owns the fifth best on base percentage in baseball. ## Nola found himself again He went 6.1 innings and gave up two runs in the opener, handing over a lead. On July 29 his ERA sat at 6.04. Over 13 starts since, it's 3.18. > He's trending and peaking at the right time. ## Painter looked steady Five innings, one run, 87 pitches before Don Mattingly pulled him. After a five-run clunker against the Astros, that reads like an aberration rather than a trend. ## The division is gone Five games back with 12 to play, and Atlanta owns the season series 9-4, so the real gap is six. The odds sit somewhere between slim and impossible. > The Wild card is their ticket. ## Three blown saves, three innings In the opener, Jonathan Bowlan, Chase Shugart and Brooks Raley each coughed up a lead the offense had just handed them. Three relievers, three leads, one game. > you'd think at least one of them could throw a clean inning ## Luzardo scratched late Shoulder soreness pulled Game 2's probable starter before first pitch. Exams called it relatively minor, but it left the bullpen to cover nine innings on no notice. ## Saturday turned into a rout Opener Tim Mayza was fine for two. Then Raley gave up three, call-up Grant Holman gave up five while retiring one hitter, Orion Kerkering added one, and catcher Garrett Stubbs mopped up three. ## Sunday was better, not clean Jose Alvarado surrendered the tying run in the seventh. A seven-run eighth bailed him out for a win he hadn't earned, and Tanner Banks still let Matt Olson homer late. > a cavalcade of runs came in the eighth ## An offense with two faces The bats vanished for most of the series, then produced seven runs in a single inning on getaway day. That inconsistency, not Harper, is what sank them. > a Jekyll and Hyde offense ## Four series left Two look manageable against the Nationals and Mets, two do not against the Brewers and Rays. Next up: an off day, then two division rivals on the road. ## The fight for the 4-seed The top Wild Card spot means hosting a three-game series to close September and open the playoffs. The Cubs are right there, with the Padres and Diamondbacks closing fast. > It'll be a dramatic finish for sure. ## Two weeks to fix it A bullpen in shambles is the one thing standing between this roster and a real October. The Sunday win plus an off day is the chance to reset. > the vibes aren't great ## Key takeaway The Phillies still have a playoff path, but only if a bullpen that blew three saves in one game gets fixed in two weeks.