The Braves begin their final road series of the regular season Friday in San Diego, where they’ll try to bury the reeling Padres and bolster their own postseason odds.
Before the scheduled three-game series begins Friday evening, the Braves and Padres will finish a suspended game from July 21, when heavy rain prevented the game from finishing at Truist Park. The seven-inning contest - it was the second game of a doubleheader - will resume in the bottom of the fifth with the Braves trailing 5-4.
The Padres, built around superstars Fernando Tatis and Manny Machado, appeared primed for a return to the postseason before a second-half freefall. San Diego has collapsed and now finds itself comfortably behind St. Louis for the National League’s second wild card. The Padres will be playing this weekend with desperation to somehow save their season.
The Braves, on the other hand, started slowly but have used the second half to surge atop the NL East. This series is crucial for them, especially with the second-place Phillies facing the lowly Pirates. The Braves and Phillies will start a three-game series at Truist Park on Tuesday, and that series’ importance will be determined by how the teams fare this weekend.
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