ATLANTA -- The Phillies played seven games in the last 10 days against the Braves, including Sunday afternoon’s 9-4 victory at Truist Park.

Philadelphia (83-67) went 3-4, falling five behind Atlanta (88-62) in the National League East standings with 12 regular-season games to play. It would take a miracle for the Phils to win a third consecutive division title at this point, meaning if they want to make a fifth consecutive trip to the postseason, they must clinch a Wild Card spot.

A lot can happen between now and the final game of the regular season on Sept. 27, but the Phillies are in a good spot. They entered Sunday one game behind the Cubs for the NL’s top Wild Card spot with a 1 1/2-game lead over the Padres for the No. 2 Wild Card and a three-game lead over the Diamondbacks for the No. 3.

So, it’s natural to look ahead.

Phillies rookie started on Sunday. He allowed one run on six hits and four walks in five innings to go with three strikeouts. He overpowered Ronald Acuña Jr. with a 97.4 mph fastball in the first inning. But Painter also walked Ha-Seong Kim twice. Kim entered the game with a .359 OPS, which would be the third lowest among players this decade (minimum 100 plate appearances).

Still, Painter has solidified the No. 5 spot in the rotation since his return on July 31.