Phillies news and rumors 6/5: Another home game has been flexed to ‘Sunday Night Baseball’

On Tuesday, ESPN announced that another Phillies’ home game has been added to the “Sunday Night Baseball” schedule. The game on Sunday, Sept. 1 against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park will now take place in the evening, instead of the originally scheduled 1:35 p.m. ET start time.

It will be the third time the Phillies will host a Sunday night game this season. They just hosted the St. Louis Cardinals this past Sunday night and did the same against the San Francisco Giants back on May 5.

As Matt Gelb of The Athletic notes, this should be the third and final home game that can be flexed to “Sunday Night Baseball”. It does not stop the Phillies from playing a Sunday night game on the road.

The game on Sept. 1 will be the fourth of a four-game set between the Phillies and Braves. It will also be the final game between the two division rivals during the regular season.

There’s plenty of baseball left to be played between now and then. But it is certainly within the realm of possibility that Sept. 1’s matchup between the two clubs will be very important. It will be their last chance to do head-to-head damage to the others’ respective win-loss record before the postseason. The Phillies currently lead the second-place Braves by seven games in the division standings. There’s no guarantee there will be that much distance between them by the time this game rolls around, though.

The Phillies and Braves opened the 2024 regular season in South Philly. Atlanta won the series two games to one. The next two series these teams play against each other will both take place at Truist Park in Atlanta. The first is set to take place from July 5 to July 7. The second is scheduled for Aug. 20 to Aug. 22.

Must-read Phillies content

• The Phillies won a low-scoring, extra-inning game on Tuesday for their 43rd victory of the year.
• While the date of Ranger Suárez’s next start is still unofficial, a stint on the injured list does not seem likely for the left-hander, as our own Destiny Lugardo writes.
• Rob Thomson provided injury updates on a few players before Tuesday’s game, including Trea Turner, Luis Ortiz and Yunior Marte.
• Thomson also provided some information on Brandon Marsh’s hamstring:

• Also from Destiny: Why aren’t the Phillies evaluating Taijuan Walker’s spot in the rotation? Because Rob Thomson trusts him.
• David Dahl was added to the Phillies’ 40-man roster and activated before Monday’s game. Phillies Nation’s
  Tim Kelly wrote about how the former All-Star got the full Phillies experience in his debut for the club.
• Major League Baseball handed out five suspensions on Tuesday, all of which were related to violations of the league’s gambling policy. One of the players suspended was Phillies’ minor leaguer José Rodríguez.

MORE FROM PHILLIES NATION

1. Phillies 2024 Walk-Up Songs
2. Rhys Hoskins Hopes First Game Back Is The Start Of Turning The Page On Time In Philadelphia
3. David Dahl Gets Full Phillies Experience On ‘Surreal’ First Night With Team
4. Edmundo Sosa’s Hot Streak Could Force Phillies To Get Creative
5. Back At Citizens Bank Park, FOX’s Joe Davis Reflects On Postseason Of His Life In 2022
6. ‘I Hope It Doesn’t Happen’: Phillies Weigh In On Automated Strike Zone
7. Orion Kerkering Keeps Adapting — To A New Pitch Mix, New Game Situations And Big League Travel
8. As Angel Hernandez Retires, Comically-Bad 2022 Phillies Game Stands Out As Career-Defining Night
9. Pre Memorial Day Crowds A Sign Of Special Summer To Come At Citizens Bank Park
10. Phillies 2024 Giveaway Schedule