Less than one month into the 2026 season, the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies are two trains speeding in opposite directions.

The Braves have won eight of their past 10 games and will try to complete a three-game sweep in Philadelphia on Sunday night.

The Phillies have lost eight of 10, including 9-0 and 3-1 defeats in the first two games of this weekend set. Philadelphia had no answers for Chris Sale on Saturday, as the veteran left-hander allowed just one run over seven innings.

“My main focus was really just following his lead and just trying to execute good pitches,” Sale said of his rapport with catcher Jonah Heim, adding he wanted to “make good, quality pitches, because that’s a hell of a lineup.”

The Phillies managed only five hits — including four singles — and struck out 10 times against Sale and a pair of relievers. Philadelphia has a total of seven runs during a current four-game slide.

“It’s frustrating, but we’ve got to keep fighting,” said manager Rob Thomson, whose squad allowed three unearned runs on Saturday. “We’ve got to keep fighting. … But we’ve got to play better.”

The lone offensive highlight for Philadelphia was a home run by Felix Reyes off of Sale. The homer came in the first major-league at-bat for the 25-year-old outfielder.

Another promising Phillies rookie will take center stage Sunday as Andrew Painter (1-0, 3.77 ERA) will start following an unconventional appearance last weekend.

The 23-year-old right-hander was supposed to start last Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but a migraine led to a late scratch. However, Painter felt well enough to come on in relief, where he allowed one run over five innings, striking out seven and walking one in his team’s 4-3 loss.

“I didn’t know the extent of how long I was going to be able to go out, how good I was feeling,” Painter said. “But I wanted to go out there and at least get a couple innings to take that (workload) off the bullpen.”

Painter has yet to face the Braves in his young career.

Atlanta will counter with Grant Holmes (1-1, 3.32 ERA), who was pulled after allowing three runs in four innings Monday in his team’s 10-4 loss to the Miami Marlins. Braves manager Walt Weiss later noted that Holmes had thrown 99 pitches in his previous outing and that he was looking out for the right-hander’s long-term health.

Still, Holmes wasn’t pleased with his abbreviated performance.

“I started rushing too much and being too quick down the mound,” he said.

Holmes has made four career appearances (one start) against Philadelphia, posting a 1-1 record with a 1.17 ERA. He certainly doesn’t want to let Bryce Harper get going. The Phillies’ slugger had three hits in the series opener but went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts on Saturday.

Philadelphia likely will be without J.T. Realmuto in the series finale after the veteran catcher felt some back tightness on Saturday.

“We’re checking on him now,” Thomson said after Saturday’s game. “I doubt he’ll play (Sunday).”

For Atlanta, Austin Riley has been a pest over the first two games of the series. He has multiple hits in each contest — a pair of opposite-field home runs and four RBIs on Friday and two singles on Saturday.

–Field Level Media

Former Furman guard has Alex Wilkins transferred to Kentucky.

His transfer was announced on Saturday.

Wilkins excelled in his freshman season with the Paladins, averaging 17.8 points, 4.7 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 35 games (all starts).

Listed at 6-foot-5, Wilkins showed his skills to a national audience in Furman’s lone game of the NCAA Tournament. He made four 3-pointers and scored 21 points in the Paladins’ 82-71 loss to eventual national championship runner-up UConn in the first round.

–Field Level Media

Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence passed his physical and signed a one-year contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals through the 2028 season on Sunday morning.

Financial terms were communicated through Win Sports Group, which informed multiple media outlets that the extension was worth $28 million.

Lawrence was acquired by Cincinnati from the New York Giants on Saturday in exchange for the No. 10 pick overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.

“We are excited to add Dexter to our team,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “He has been a dominant player in the league since he was drafted, and he will be a tremendous presence on the field and in our locker room.”

Lawrence, 28, requested a trade last week and did not report to the Giants’ offseason program, with reports that discussions over a contract extension had reached an impasse.

The Giants have three of the top 37 picks in the 2026 draft. That includes their original first-round pick — No. 5 — and Cincinnati’s selection, No. 10.

A 2019 first-round pick (17th overall) out of Clemson, Lawrence has recorded 341 tackles, 30.5 sacks and 103 quarterback hits in 109 games (102 starts) over seven seasons in New York.

Lawrence was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2022 through 2024, but not last season when he started 17 games and had 31 tackles, 0.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits and one interception.

Cincinnati already added to its defensive line with offseason signings of former Seattle Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe to a three-year, $60 million contract and former Minnesota Vikings tackle Jonathan Allen to a two-year, $25 million deal.

“The opportunity to add a player of Dexter’s ability was too good to pass up,” Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said. “… Dexter fits the vision we have on our defense and will also elevate others around him. We are confident in Dexter and can’t wait to see the positive effects he and the other players we have acquired this offseason have on our football team. We are excited to turn to the draft and our remaining picks to further enhance our team.”

–Field Level Media