Previewing the Upcoming Weekend Braves-Phillies Series in Atlanta

There isn't a hotter team in baseball than the Atlanta Braves (40-29), who have won seven straight and now have a 1.5-game lead in the NL East, overtaking the Philadelphia Phillies (38-30) during their sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

These two teams haven't squared off since the opening series of the season when Philadelphia swept Atlanta at Citizens Bank Park. Both teams are quite different, and the Phillies have to face a Braves team that's playing their best baseball of the season.

Here's a look at the pitching matchups for big weekend series between these two NL East foes.

June 14: RHP Nick Pivetta vs. LHP Max Fried

Phillies right-hander Nick Pivetta is coming off a brilliant outing against the Cincinnati Reds where he tossed a complete game and struck out six batters. However, in seven starts this season, Pivetta owns a 4.93 ERA. Pivetta has all the tools to shut down any lineup, but he'll have to try and do that against one of the top offenses in the game.

Southpaw Max Fried has been one of the bright spots for this Braves rotation, but he's had his struggles recently (5.61 ERA over last seven starts). Fried wasn't in the rotation on Opening Day against the Phillies, but he made two scoreless relief appearances in that series.

June 15: RHP Aaron Nola vs. LHP Sean Newcomb

There isn't a luckier pitcher than Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola, who possesses a 6-1 record and 4.58 ERA over 14 starts this season. Nola hasn't pitched to the level that put him in the Cy Young conversation last year, but he did shut down this Braves lineup on Opening Day through six innings, even though he tallied a whopping five walks.

Left-hander Sean Newcomb struggled as a starter early in the season, which led the Braves to put him in the bullpen, where he's thrived. However, with Kevin Gausman going on the shelf and Newcomb tossing 4.2 scoreless innings out of relief, he's getting at least one start before Dallas Keuchel gets called up to prove his worth.

June 16: TBD vs. RHP Mike Foltynewicz

The Phillies have yet to name a starter for the series finale, but the Braves will turn to Mike Foltynewicz, who has shown glimpses of returning to his All-Star form. However, over his last three starts, Foltynewicz has allowed 12 earned runs in 16 innings. If he can keep the ball in the yard (which has been a problem), he'll have a chance to earn his second win of the season.