Phillies aim to catch Braves in critical three-game series

The Philadelphia Phillies will have their best shot to catch the Atlanta Braves in the National League East when the teams begin a three-game series on Tuesday in Atlanta.

The Braves (83-72) hold a 2 1/2-game lead over Philadelphia (81-75) and have a magic number of five, which means any combination of five Braves wins and Phillies losses would give Atlanta the title. Atlanta is trying to win its fourth consecutive divis