NL East preview: Braves, Phillies primed for more big battles

AP photo by Mat Rourke / The host Philadelphia Phillies celebrate after winning Game 4 of an NL Division Series against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park on Oct. 12, 2023. Atlanta won the NL East Division title for the sixth straight time last season, but after finishing 14 games ahead of the Phillies for the second year in a row, the Braves were also eliminated by Philadelphia in the divisional round for the second consecutive postseason.

By MIKE FITZPATRICK / The Associated Press March 23, 2024 6 min read

NEW YORK — Ronald Acuña Jr. and the Atlanta Braves are ready for another crack at the Philadelphia Phillies this season.

They won’t need to wait long: opening day, first pitch.

The reigning National League MVP and his teammates begin their 2024 schedule Thursday afternoon, and they do so right back at Citizens Bank Park, where last season ended for the Braves with a painful playoff loss in Game 4 of an NL Division Series.

Just like the year before.

With six straight NL East titles and a 2021 World Series crown, the Braves are the class of the division — there’s no arguing that — but the Phillies have owned them in October, reaching the past two NL Championship Series at Atlanta’s expense, only to fall short of earning World Series rings.