Previewing the Upcoming Braves-Phillies Division Showdown
By Charles Nason
The beginning of the second half hasn't started as glamorously as the Atlanta Braves (60-43) might've hoped. For the Philadelphia Phillies (54-48), they're finally starting to trend in the right direction. After a series split with the Dodgers last week, followed by back-to-back series wins against the Pirates and Tigers, the Phils are starting to inch closer in the NL East.
Atlanta still sits atop the division, 5.5 games ahead of the Phillies. If the Phillies can steal a win or two, they could find themselves just a few games back of the NL East lead. As the Nationals begin a series with the Dodgers, Philadelphia could very well end up second in the division by the end of the weekend.
July 26: RHP Mike Soroka vs RHP Jake Arrieta
BIG series starting tomorrow for the #Phillies with the division-leading Braves coming to town. Let’s bring the same energy to the park that we saw in the opening series of the season and gain some ground in this race. Plenty of baseball to play. LETS GO.#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/hOBAygcnyk
— Phillies Nation (@PHLPhilNation) July 25, 2019
Soroka has been lights out for the Braves all year. Coming into this series with a 10-2 record, he still hasn't claimed a victory over the Phillies. He owns a 2.46 ERA and averages 7.5 strikeouts per game, which could very well be enough to sit the Phillies down in game one of the series.
After a superb month of June, Phils' righty Jake Arrieta has just one decision in July: a 8-7 loss to the Mets. The score of his last loss ironically mirrors his record on the season. His ERA sits at 4.40, which he'll certainly look to improve on in his next few starts.
July 27: LHP Max Fried vs RHP Zach Eflin
Southpaw Max Fried has been another shining star in the Braves rotation this year. Kevin Gausman was originally set to start Saturday's matchup, but due to a blister he missed a start and wasn't set to return until Sunday. After bullpen sessions on Tuesday and Thursday, Fried is back in for Saturday and looking to improve on his 10-4 season record.
Braves have flipped Gausman and Fried. So, it'll now be Eflin vs. Fried on Saturday, Nola vs. Gausman on Sunday.
— Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) July 24, 2019
Zach Eflin's 2018-19 MLB year has been, let's just say, brutal so far. Although the Phillies righty has accumulated 7 wins this year, his 10 losses have kept him from being a reliable part of Philly's rotation. He got destroyed in his last outing against the Pirates, and can hopefully turn that around against Atlanta if he hopes to stay in Philadelphia.
July 28: RHP Kevin Gausman vs RHP Aaron Nola
Based on the pitching matchup, the series finale could very well be one of the games the Phillies steal from the Braves. The Phils will go with their ace Aaron Nola, who heads into the series with an 8-2 season record, two of which came against Atlanta. In his last start, Nola threw seven innings against the Tigers, helping his team win the first of a two-game series.
Things are about to heat up.
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) July 25, 2019
Gabe Kapler's decisions on Bryce Harper and Aaron Nola show how important the #Phillies' skipper believes this upcoming stretch is, writes @JSalisburyNBCS. https://t.co/2K3rGg8f9S
Kevin Gausman is coming off a brilliant performance against the Nats, throwing 63 strikes in 83 pitches. Although his stats on the season aren't incredible, he's earned his position in the Braves staff after a brief stint in Triple-A, primarily with his skill against left-handed hitters.