Deadspin | Phils, on verge of worst skid this century, look for answers vs. Braves 
Apr 23, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (49) makes a pitching change against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images The surging Atlanta Braves will try to compound Philadelphia’s recent struggles when they open a three-game series against the visiting Phillies on Friday night.
The Braves just took three of four games from the host Washington Nationals, capped by a 7-2 victory on Thursday, and have won eight of their last nine.
The Phillies have lost nine straight games after falling 8-7 in 10 innings to the host Chicago Cubs on Thursday to complete a four-game sweep. Philadelphia has the worst record in the National League and is tied with the Kansas City Royals for the worst mark in the majors.
The weekend set will be the second series between the teams this year. Atlanta swept a three-game set in Philadelphia last weekend.
Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson tried to find a silver lining in the losing streak, the team’s longest since a nine-game skid in September 2018. The Phillies last had a double-figure losing streak when they dropped 11 in a row in September 1999.
“Did we lose? Yeah. Do you feel bad about that? Yeah,” Thomson said. “But they fought and hopefully it carries over into tomorrow.”
The series opener will feature a rematch between two right-handers who faced each other on Sunday, Philadelphia rookie Andrew Painter (1-1, 4.42 ERA) and Atlanta’s Grant Holmes (1-1, 3.42). The Braves won that game 4-2.
Painter, the Phillies’ first-round draft pick in 2021, looks fully recovered from Tommy John surgery performed in July 2023. He made 26 minor league starts last year and made his major league debut this year on March 31.
Painter took his first loss last week against the Braves. He pitched four-plus innings and allowed three runs on five hits, one walk and had four strikeouts.
Holmes lasted 4 2/3 innings against the Phillies, permitting two runs on four hits and one walk while fanning four. Holmes, who has not allowed more than three runs in any appearance this season, is 1-1 with a 2.19 ERA in five career games (two starts) against Philadelphia.
Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper needs one extra-base hit to become the 27th player to reach 800 before turning 34 years old. In 203 career games against Atlanta, Harper has 37 doubles, one triple and 46 homers.
Atlanta center fielder Michael Harris II left the Thursday game in the eighth inning because of left quad tightness but hopes to be in the lineup on Friday.
“That’s the plan,” he said, according to MLB.com. “I’m going to go home, make sure I do everything right and then come in and see how I’m feeling.”
In his past seven games, Harris is hitting .565 (13-for-23) with four homers and nine RBIs. He went 3-for-4 with two RBIs before exiting on Thursday.
The Braves placed left-hander Dylan Dodd on the 15-day injured list because of a left thoracic spine infection on Thursday and optioned right-hander Didier Fuentes to Triple-A Gwinnett. Atlanta promoted right-handers Carlos Carrasco and JR Ritchie from Gwinnett, with Ritchie throwing seven strong innings to win his major league debut on Thursday. He gave up two runs and five hits over seven innings.
The Phillies recalled right-hander Nolan Hoffman from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, optioned right-hander Alan Rangel to Lehigh Valley and released right-hander Taijuan Walker.
–Field Level Media
#Deadspin #Phils #verge #worst #skid #century #answers #Braves
Apr 23, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (49) makes a pitching change against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images The surging Atlanta Braves will try to compound Philadelphia’s recent struggles when they open a three-game series against the visiting Phillies on Friday night.
The Braves just took three of four games from the host Washington Nationals, capped by a 7-2 victory on Thursday, and have won eight of their last nine.
The Phillies have lost nine straight games after falling 8-7 in 10 innings to the host Chicago Cubs on Thursday to complete a four-game sweep. Philadelphia has the worst record in the National League and is tied with the Kansas City Royals for the worst mark in the majors.
The weekend set will be the second series between the teams this year. Atlanta swept a three-game set in Philadelphia last weekend.
Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson tried to find a silver lining in the losing streak, the team’s longest since a nine-game skid in September 2018. The Phillies last had a double-figure losing streak when they dropped 11 in a row in September 1999.
“Did we lose? Yeah. Do you feel bad about that? Yeah,” Thomson said. “But they fought and hopefully it carries over into tomorrow.”
The series opener will feature a rematch between two right-handers who faced each other on Sunday, Philadelphia rookie Andrew Painter (1-1, 4.42 ERA) and Atlanta’s Grant Holmes (1-1, 3.42). The Braves won that game 4-2.
Painter, the Phillies’ first-round draft pick in 2021, looks fully recovered from Tommy John surgery performed in July 2023. He made 26 minor league starts last year and made his major league debut this year on March 31.
Painter took his first loss last week against the Braves. He pitched four-plus innings and allowed three runs on five hits, one walk and had four strikeouts.
Holmes lasted 4 2/3 innings against the Phillies, permitting two runs on four hits and one walk while fanning four. Holmes, who has not allowed more than three runs in any appearance this season, is 1-1 with a 2.19 ERA in five career games (two starts) against Philadelphia.
Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper needs one extra-base hit to become the 27th player to reach 800 before turning 34 years old. In 203 career games against Atlanta, Harper has 37 doubles, one triple and 46 homers.
Atlanta center fielder Michael Harris II left the Thursday game in the eighth inning because of left quad tightness but hopes to be in the lineup on Friday.
“That’s the plan,” he said, according to MLB.com. “I’m going to go home, make sure I do everything right and then come in and see how I’m feeling.”
In his past seven games, Harris is hitting .565 (13-for-23) with four homers and nine RBIs. He went 3-for-4 with two RBIs before exiting on Thursday.
The Braves placed left-hander Dylan Dodd on the 15-day injured list because of a left thoracic spine infection on Thursday and optioned right-hander Didier Fuentes to Triple-A Gwinnett. Atlanta promoted right-handers Carlos Carrasco and JR Ritchie from Gwinnett, with Ritchie throwing seven strong innings to win his major league debut on Thursday. He gave up two runs and five hits over seven innings.
The Phillies recalled right-hander Nolan Hoffman from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, optioned right-hander Alan Rangel to Lehigh Valley and released right-hander Taijuan Walker.
–Field Level Media
![PBKS vs MI, IPL 2026: Shardul Thakur four-for catches Punjab Kings off guard in Dharamshala There’s a certain inevitability about Shardul Thakur. He may not play half the games in a season, concede 15 runs off his first over – like he did against Punjab Kings in Dharamshala – and yet, produce moments of brilliance that turn a game on its head. He’s called ‘Lord’ Thakur and he lives up to his reputation.On Thursday, playing just his seventh game in IPL 2026, Shardul took four for 39 and brought a flourishing PBKS innings to a grinding halt, thus tilting the contest in Mumbai Indians’ favour.“It feels good to be back. You know, it’s not easy to sit out. But yes, the nature of the tournament is such where you have 25 players in the squad, lots of options. So, sometimes you’ve got to take it in your stride,” Shardul said.From his very first over, there was a spring in his step. The confidence of having captain and fellow pacer Jasprit Bumrah standing at mid off might have helped. There were lengthy discussions and arms flailing, asking fielders to move and adjust their angles. “I think I have my comfort level with him. We had a lot of discussions; I don’t know much about the other bowlers. But of course, he’s never shy of sharing his ideas,” Shardul said.READ | Our destiny is still in our hands, says Haddin as PBKS playoff hopes hang by a threadHowever, the start was far from ideal. Prabhsimran was settled and he simply used the pace to nudge the ball in gaps and pick boundaries. Shardul had to wait six overs for his next chance and on the very first delivery, Prabhsimran shuffled across the stumps and whipped him over square leg.“I knew that it was the fifth over where Punjab’s batters would also try to attack. And it was possible that I would go for more runs. But the T20 game is also like that. Sometimes, you have the intention to bowl good length but the batter plays a good shot. And Dharamshala is a venue that is at a high altitude. So, many times, the shot that might get the batter out on the boundary line at other stadiums, can go for six here,” Shardul said.But Shardul has the ability to catch you off guard when you least expect it.By the 11th over, MI’s insistence to hit the hard length was no longer a secret. It is what Prabhsimran was expecting, and hence, standing in his crease to play off his back foot. On the second delivery, Shardul threw a floater on a slightly fuller length. The result: Prabhsimran was left adjusting for length at the last instance and could only hand a top edge to deep third man.Shreyas Iyer punched his first delivery through point for four, but could do little more than stare at the pitch when the next delivery, a cross-seamed one, hit the pitch and nipped away to peg back his off stump.“I think there were too many ups and downs in this game. In PowerPlay, we started really well. But then, at the back end of the PowerPlay and at the start of the middle overs, there were few runs flowing. The tempo was constantly changing. So, as bowlers, it’s very difficult to keep coming back and bowling good deliveries. Because suddenly, there is a shift in tempo.“You think what are my shutdown options? Then, suddenly, there is a fall of one or two wickets and then you are looking for wickets. So, there were too many switches in the game itself. So, in that way, bowlers had to shift their mindset quite a lot,” Shardul said after the game.From 107 for one, PBKS was left at 111 for three in the space of six deliveries. The home side lost another two wickets in the next two overs and had been halted in its tracks. Shardul stuck to his cross-seamed deliveries and prised out another wicket in the 17th over, this time castling Marco Jansen by extracting the low bounce off the surface.“I wouldn’t say I was too happy with my bowling. I think I could have conceded six-seven runs fewer than what I did. But the four wickets that I took, yes, I am happy with that. I am happier that I was able to take those in a winning cause,” Shardul said.PBKS eked out a few bonus runs at the death by bringing in Vishnu Vinod as Impact Player. But Tilak Varma put up a show of his steely resolve to get MI over the line in chasing 201.“Kudos to Tilak, the way he held his nerve. He spent the time in the middle and looked to bat all 20 overs. And he selected his balls, he selected his areas where he needed to hit. And also, to start with, [Ryan] Rickleton, the way he provided us runs in the PowerPlay,” Shardul said.Published on May 15, 2026 #PBKS #IPL #Shardul #Thakur #fourfor #catches #Punjab #Kings #guard #Dharamshala](https://i1.wp.com/ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/5ekaxe/article70981719.ece/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1200/29_RVM_7543.jpg?ssl=1 "PBKS vs MI, IPL 2026: Shardul Thakur four-for catches Punjab Kings off guard in Dharamshala There’s a certain inevitability about Shardul Thakur. He may not play half the games in a season, concede 15 runs off his first over – like he did against Punjab Kings in Dharamshala – and yet, produce moments of brilliance that turn a game on its head. He’s called ‘Lord’ Thakur and he lives up to his reputation.On Thursday, playing just his seventh game in IPL 2026, Shardul took four for 39 and brought a flourishing PBKS innings to a grinding halt, thus tilting the contest in Mumbai Indians’ favour.“It feels good to be back. You know, it’s not easy to sit out. But yes, the nature of the tournament is such where you have 25 players in the squad, lots of options. So, sometimes you’ve got to take it in your stride,” Shardul said.From his very first over, there was a spring in his step. The confidence of having captain and fellow pacer Jasprit Bumrah standing at mid off might have helped. There were lengthy discussions and arms flailing, asking fielders to move and adjust their angles. “I think I have my comfort level with him. We had a lot of discussions; I don’t know much about the other bowlers. But of course, he’s never shy of sharing his ideas,” Shardul said.READ | Our destiny is still in our hands, says Haddin as PBKS playoff hopes hang by a threadHowever, the start was far from ideal. Prabhsimran was settled and he simply used the pace to nudge the ball in gaps and pick boundaries. Shardul had to wait six overs for his next chance and on the very first delivery, Prabhsimran shuffled across the stumps and whipped him over square leg.“I knew that it was the fifth over where Punjab’s batters would also try to attack. And it was possible that I would go for more runs. But the T20 game is also like that. Sometimes, you have the intention to bowl good length but the batter plays a good shot. And Dharamshala is a venue that is at a high altitude. So, many times, the shot that might get the batter out on the boundary line at other stadiums, can go for six here,” Shardul said.But Shardul has the ability to catch you off guard when you least expect it.By the 11th over, MI’s insistence to hit the hard length was no longer a secret. It is what Prabhsimran was expecting, and hence, standing in his crease to play off his back foot. On the second delivery, Shardul threw a floater on a slightly fuller length. The result: Prabhsimran was left adjusting for length at the last instance and could only hand a top edge to deep third man.Shreyas Iyer punched his first delivery through point for four, but could do little more than stare at the pitch when the next delivery, a cross-seamed one, hit the pitch and nipped away to peg back his off stump.“I think there were too many ups and downs in this game. In PowerPlay, we started really well. But then, at the back end of the PowerPlay and at the start of the middle overs, there were few runs flowing. The tempo was constantly changing. So, as bowlers, it’s very difficult to keep coming back and bowling good deliveries. Because suddenly, there is a shift in tempo.“You think what are my shutdown options? Then, suddenly, there is a fall of one or two wickets and then you are looking for wickets. So, there were too many switches in the game itself. So, in that way, bowlers had to shift their mindset quite a lot,” Shardul said after the game.From 107 for one, PBKS was left at 111 for three in the space of six deliveries. The home side lost another two wickets in the next two overs and had been halted in its tracks. Shardul stuck to his cross-seamed deliveries and prised out another wicket in the 17th over, this time castling Marco Jansen by extracting the low bounce off the surface.“I wouldn’t say I was too happy with my bowling. I think I could have conceded six-seven runs fewer than what I did. But the four wickets that I took, yes, I am happy with that. I am happier that I was able to take those in a winning cause,” Shardul said.PBKS eked out a few bonus runs at the death by bringing in Vishnu Vinod as Impact Player. But Tilak Varma put up a show of his steely resolve to get MI over the line in chasing 201.“Kudos to Tilak, the way he held his nerve. He spent the time in the middle and looked to bat all 20 overs. And he selected his balls, he selected his areas where he needed to hit. And also, to start with, [Ryan] Rickleton, the way he provided us runs in the PowerPlay,” Shardul said.Published on May 15, 2026 #PBKS #IPL #Shardul #Thakur #fourfor #catches #Punjab #Kings #guard #Dharamshala")
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