Bring it, Braves | Sports Daily Newsletter

Our friends at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution have noted that “the Braves will get their chance at revenge against the Phillies, who look like October darlings again.”

Good luck with that.

The National League Division Series begins at 6:07 p.m. Saturday with Game 1 in Atlanta, and the Braves will be favored again. These mighty, 104-win Braves swatted an ungodly 307 homers this season and left the Phillies 14 games behind in the NL East race.

Ah, but the regular season matters very little now, right? These Phillies have moxie, mojo, and momentum on their side, just like last year. Their goal isn’t just to beat the Braves. It’s to become them, David Murphy writes.

Taking the mound for the Phils on Saturday will be Ranger Suárez in a repeat of last year’s NLDS Game 1, when the Phillies roared to a 7-1 lead and held on for a 7-6 win. Three games later, the Braves were finished as the Phillies eviscerated them in two games at home.

“The Braves know how challenging the Citizens Bank Park environment can be,” the Journal-Constitution notes. “They lost both NLDS games there last season, getting outscored 17-4. The comparisons to an SEC football atmosphere aren’t far-fetched.”

Oh, the vibe at Bank can be much more intense than a mere SEC game, though. If the Phillies can split in Atlanta, as they did last fall, it looks like another Dead October for the Braves.

⚾ Where the Phillies stand: The Phillies move on to the best-of-five National League Division Series against the Braves beginning with Game 1 at 6:07 p.m. Saturday in Atlanta. The series will be televised by TBS.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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When the Braves clinched the division title on Sept. 13 in Philadelphia, several players said they expected to return for the playoffs. It’s only fitting. Because the Phillies finished 14 games behind the Braves last season, just like this year, and wiped them out in four games in the divisional round. Can they do it again? Here are five story lines to watch as the National League Division Series gets underway on Saturday.

Trea Turner turned around his season after the Citizens Bank Park crowd famously gave the struggling shortstop several standing ovations on Aug. 4. Turns out, the moment energized the entire team as well.

The Marlins’ season is over, but the wild-card series was a homecoming of sorts for one front-office analyst. Meet Jennifer Brann, the former Penn pitcher and captain who’s now working alongside trailblazing GM Kim Ng.

From the schedule to tickets to the broadcast, here’s everything you need to know about the NLDS.

Nick Castellanos has had houseguests this season and into the playoffs — teammate Weston Wilson and his wife, Madison. “It speaks to who he is as a person.”

Next: The Phillies will open the NLDS at 6:07 p.m. Saturday in Atlanta (TBS). Ranger Suárez is expected to start for the Phillies.

Sua Opeta has been valuable for the Eagles as a reserve offensive lineman, and, with Cam Jurgens injured, he’s expected to get the start against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. It’ll be quite a challenge going up against Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald. But the Eagles are confident in Opeta, who has been compared to a Tesla.

Next: The Eagles visit the Los Angeles Rams at 4:05 p.m. Sunday (Fox29).

The Eagles visit the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from SoFi Stadium.

The Eagles’ defensive tackle rotation is stacked — anchored by blue-chip talent. So how did Milton Williams, a former third-round pick, get in the mix? Williams has always believed in himself. His father has, too, maybe even more than Williams himself. But in order to fulfill his NFL dream, Williams had to put in the work, and lots of that work was done on a hill back in Williams’ hometown. Join Inquirer Eagles beat reporter Jeff McLane as he gets to know Williams and his roots, and talks to players and coaches about why Williams could be an important piece to the team’s success. Listen here.

Joel Embiid has made his decision for the 2024 Olympics in Paris: He’s joining Team USA.

Embiid had a number of choices in front of him, with his native Cameroon, France, and the U.S. on the table after he recently gained citizenship in France and the United States. While Embiid wanted to play for Cameroon, he was realistic about its chances of making it to the Olympics. His son, who was born in the U.S., also was a factor in that decision.

Next: The Sixers continue training camp in Fort Collins, Colo., with hopes that James Harden’s ramp-up process will continue and he will officially scrimmage with the team.

The next game the Flyers play will count for real, and they’ll bring plenty of good vibes into it after a 5-2 win in their preseason finale. The short-handed Islanders struck first, but five different Flyers veterans scored to shut down their Metropolitan Division foe.

Carter Hart looked a bit rusty, but it didn’t matter too much thanks to the offensive surge. Now, some final roster decisions loom for John Tortorella and company.

Next: The Flyers open their season at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 12 (7 p.m., NBCSP).

Union manager Jim Curtin had intended for José Andrés Martínez to return from injury with only around 30 minutes of action Wednesday night. Martínez wound up playing 91 minutes, and Jonathan Tannenwald explains why.

U.S. men’s manager Gregg Berhalter named his squad for marquee friendlies this month against Germany and Ghana. His old friend, Gio Reyna, is on the list.

A former USWNT stalwart is trying to bring pro women’s soccer back to Philadelphia, where she once played.

Next: The Union welcome Nashville SC to Subaru Park on Saturday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV+, paywalled).

We asked you: Give us your NLDS prediction. Will it be the end of the line, or will the Phillies top the Braves again? Among your responses:

I predict the Phillies will win this series one more time against the Braves. It reminds of a Braves and MLB saying from long ago when I was a much younger Phillies fan. “Spahn and Sain, then pray for rain” ... But this time, we might say, “Wheeler and Nola, then pray for rain.” It would be great if we had only to use those starters, but we will be fine with the overall pitching staff, that is very good in total. We will beat the Braves in 2023, and get that 13th postseason win this year. — Jay W.

I’m very enthusiastic right now. Phillies are locked in. If they can beat Strider on Saturday then they will win it for sure, but win that one or not, I think RED OCTOBER is back and really together as a team. They will win it and go on to play the Dodgers or DBacks. — Everett S.

Like the Marlins, the Braves had a winning record against the Phils. But the postseason is a different animal. Anything can happen. If they keep playing the way they are right now, the Phils will emerge victorious. The Braves are a really good team and this series won’t be easy. No team is unbeatable. — Kathy T.

Phillies rise to the occasion again, taking the NLDS 3-1. The Atlanta Braves never regained their season-long form after the extended break between the end of the season and the NLDS. The rust, coupled with their inexperience level, gave the Phillies the window of opportunity to once again send the season champs home well short of their goal! — Todd L.

Phillies “take October.” Phillies know what it takes now to get it done. Eyes are on the prize. Phillies in 5! — Bernard H.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Marcus Hayes, Alex Coffey, Scott Lauber, Rob Tornoe, Lochlahn March, David Murphy, Keith Pompey, EJ Smith, Jonathan Tannenwald, Aaron Carter, Rymir Vaughn, Colin Beazley, and Brooke Ackerman.