The Braves scored first, then leaned on Chris Sale and a sharp finish to beat the Phillies 3-1 on April 18, 2026, in Philadelphia. Sale limited Philadelphia to one run over 7.0 innings as Atlanta kept control of the game and left town with another series win.
Sale, who started against Cristopher Sanchez on Saturday, gave up a 348-foot home run to Felix Reyes in the bottom of the second but settled in from there. He allowed one run, walked one and struck out seven, and during the outing he passed Tom Glavine on the career strikeouts list.
The Braves did their damage after an error opened the door in the middle innings, then Drake Baldwin added a two-out single as Atlanta pushed across three runs. Those runs were enough because Dylan Lee followed with a 1-2-3 inning in relief and Jose Suarez handled the ninth in a save situation, striking out two batters.
The win left Atlanta at 14-7 and five games up in the division, a position that reflects how cleanly the club has started the season. The Braves have now won seven series in seven series this year, and this one came with their ace delivering exactly the kind of outing that turns a tight road game into a routine result.
That is the part Philadelphia could not answer: Sale gave up the lone blow, but Atlanta kept stacking small advantages until the margin was out of reach. For a team already sitting on a 5.0-game division lead, the bigger question is not whether the Braves can win series, but how long the rest of the division can keep pace.
