The Atlanta Braves will be in Philadelphia to take on the Phillies Monday. The Phillies will look to keep their playoff hopes alive in this series as we near the end of the season.
Cruising Along
The Braves have had a great season so far, as they are 89-55 and sitting in first place in the NL East, nine games ahead of the Washington Nationals, who hold a Wild Card spot.
Atlanta is hitting .259 as a team with 227 home runs. Their team ERA is 4.23 this season. They are on the road for this game, where they are 42-27 this year.
Starting on the bump in this game to kick off the series for the Braves is Mike Foltynewicz. The 27-year-old got a win in his last outing against the Blue Jays where he allowed just two hits over five scoreless innings.
Foltynewicz’s last win puts him at 5-5 this season with a 5.28 ERA with 81 strikeouts. Although his stats don’t jump off the page, his last three decisions have all been wins.
From the plate, the Braves have a lot of young, exciting talent. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies have been fantastic for Atlanta this year both in the field and at the plate. Their current leader has been their first baseman, Freddie Freeman. Freeman has been responsible for 38 home runs, 115 runs batted in, and a .299 batting average.
Still Fighting
The Phillies find themselves in a fight for a Wild Card spot as we near the end of the season. They are 74-68, sitting 14 games behind the Braves in the NL East. They are just two games behind a Wild Card spot, but with such a tight race they are behind Chicago and Arizona, and tied with Milwaukee.
Philadelphia is hitting .249 as a team with 184 home runs. The team ERA is 4.59. Their only player on the IL is their All-Star right fielder, Bryce Harper, who is currently listed as day-to-day.
The Phillies cannot be excited to play a team as good as the Braves at such a big part of the season, but luckily, they will be at home. They are 41-31 in Philadelphia this year. They are at home after a road trip that ended with two wins over the Mets. They are 5-5 over their last 10 games.
Getting the start for the Phillies will be their 26-year-old star, Aaron Nola. Nola did not factor into the decision in his last outing against the Reds as he gave up five runs over just four innings.
Nola is now 12-4 this season with a 3.63 ERA and 200 strikeouts. Since the start of his career, Nola has been a reliable starter, and this season is no different. Nothing will come easy to the Braves with Nola on the mound.
Harper being out at this crucial time of the season will hurt the Phillies, as he currently leads the team with 30 home runs and 101 runs batted in. Despite a somewhat slow start by his standards, Harper has put together a solid season for his new team. Jean Segura currently leads the team with his .288 batting average.
What To Expect
The Braves are the better team in this one, and it is hard to put money against them. However, even with his less than impressive start in his last outing, I like Nola to give the Phillies the advantage on the mound in this one. Add the fact that they are at home, and I think the Phillies start this series off with a win over the Braves.
