7:20 pm
September 16

Phillies @ Braves

Who will WIN this matchup?

Philadelphia Phillies (80-63)

@ Atlanta Braves (88-55)

 

Starting Pitchers:

Suarez (PHI): 9-5; 3.62 ERA

Fried (ATL) 13-6; 2.50 ERA

 

Current odds:

Philadelphia Phillies: (+156)

Atlanta Braves: (-185)

 

The starting line-up for the Phillies is as follows:

Philadelphia Phillies starting lineup for September 16 at Atlanta Braves at 7:20 p.m.

Left field: Kyle Schwarber
First base: Alec Bohm
Designated hitter: Bryce Harper
Catcher: J.T. Realmuto
Second base: Jean Segura
Shortstop: Bryson Stott
Center field: Matt Vierling
Third base: Yairo Muñoz
Right field: Dalton Guthrie
Pitcher: Ranger Suárez

The starting line-up for the Braves is as follows:

The Atlanta Braves will complete the regular season with 19 straight games against National League East opponents. The stretch run begins Friday when they host the Philadelphia Phillies. As the Braves push for a fifth consecutive NL East title, they will have some challenging games, starting with the three-game series against the Phillies.

The Braves (88-55) boast a 35-22 record against the NL East, including a 6-6 mark vs. Philadelphia (80-63). Atlanta sits one game behind the first-place New York Mets (90-55) in the division.

The Braves are returning home after a 4-4 road trip against the Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants. Atlanta fell 4-1 to the Giants in the series finale on Wednesday. Robbie Grossman was a positive influence as he finished 3-for-3 with an RBI.

The Braves will hand the ball to Max Fried (13-6, 2.50 ERA) on Friday. The left-hander is 4-3 with a 3.96 ERA in 16 career games (10 starts) against the Phillies, 0-0 with a 3.75 ERA in three starts this year.

Atlanta received some good news as Ozzie Albies went 5-for-5 with a game-winning home run in a rehab game for Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday, then added a two-run triple on Wednesday. Albies has been out since June 14 with a broken left foot.

The Phillies had their five-game winning streak snapped with a 5-3 road loss to the Miami Marlins on Thursday, but they battled until the end. Following Brandon Marsh’s fourth hit and second RBI, Matt Vierling grounded out — nipped by a half-step at first base — to end the game. Philadelphia’s Bryson Stott added two hits and two runs and Kyle Schwarber hit his NL-leading 38th homer of the season.

Despite the loss, the Phillies are a confident club heading into this key series. Philadelphia is 2 1/2 games up on the San Diego Padres (78-66) for the second NL wild card and four games in front of the Milwaukee Brewers (76-67), the first team out of playoff position.

Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins could be back in the lineup Friday. Hoskins was by a pitch on his right hand on Wednesday and sat out Thursday for precautionary reasons. He was relieved that his hand was bruised and not broken.

Ranger Suarez (9-5, 3.62 ERA) is scheduled to start on Friday for the Phillies. In Suarez’s latest outing, on Saturday against the Washington Nationals, he threw 103 pitches and allowed seven hits and four runs in 6 2/3 innings. Suarez is 1-2 with a 4.20 ERA in 13 career games (four starts) against the Braves, 0-2 with a 5.06 ERA in three meetings this season.

6/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Atlanta Braves