Chalk it up to a scheduling quirk that nine of the Phillies’ first 27 games came against the Atlanta Braves. But the frequency of the meetings and the lopsided results — the Braves went 6-3 by a combined score of 54-30 — prompted Phillies coaches to dig deeper in their preparation for yet another showdown between the teams this week at Citizens Bank Park. As manager Gabe Kapler put it, the Phils “prepared like animals.” It showed in the series opener Monday night. Nick Pivetta pitched seven shutout innings, and Nick Williams and Aaron Altherr homered in a 3-0 victory that pushed the Phillies to within a half-game of the NL East-leading Braves with two more head-to-head meetings remaining this week.
Jorge Alfaro channels Pudge Rodriguez as Phillies take Round 1 from Braves | Extra Innings
