PHOENIX — The Braves took another day off the calendar without giving up ground Tuesday. The Phillies defeated the lowly Orioles 3-2 in extra innings earlier in the night. The Braves then cruised to a 6-1 win over the Diamondbacks to retain their three-game lead in the National League East.
The win trimmed the Braves’ magic number to 10. They’re inching closer to their fourth consecutive division title after defeating the 103-loss Diamondbacks over the past two nights. The Phillies actually slipped up against the Orioles on Monday, which further helped matters, but avoided the disastrous situation of consecutive losses to Baltimore with Tuesday’s narrow win.
“I saw the Phillies snuck one in there tonight,” Braves third baseman Austin Riley said after Tuesday’s game. “We just have to continue to come out and take care of business (Wednesday).”
The Braves will try for their third straight win over Arizona late Wednesday night when Ian Anderson (7-5, 3.75) faces Diamondbacks righty Merrill Kelly (7-10, 4.41).
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