Phillies lose; Braves’ East lead stays at 3 games

Pitching Coach Rick Kranitz #39 of the Philadelphia Phillies talks with Nick Pivetta #43 and Jorge Alfaro #38 during the second inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on September 5, 2018 in Miami, Florida.  (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

Credit: Eric Espada

Credit: Eric Espada

Pitching Coach Rick Kranitz #39 of the Philadelphia Phillies talks with Nick Pivetta #43 and Jorge Alfaro #38 during the second inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on September 5, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

The Braves got a break Wednesday night.

And they needed it after blowing a 7-1 lead in a 9-8 loss to the Boston Red Sox at SunTrust Park earlier in the day.

As painful as it was, the Braves did not lose any ground in the NL East race.

The second-place Philadelphia Phillies lost to the Miami Marlins 2-1, allowing the Braves to keep their three-game lead.

The Phillies are 10-18 in their last 28 games and have not  won any of their last nine series.

"We set out to win every baseball game," Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. "And our pleasure or our disappointment hinges on how we perform, and not really what Atlanta's doing."

The Braves open a four-game series against the Diamondbacks in Arizona on Thursday night.

The Phillies are off Thursday before beginning a three-game series at the Mets Friday.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.