Series Preview: Phillies at Braves

The Philadelphia Phillies (9-17) leave Miami after snapping an ugly 5-game losing streak, and will head just north to take on the NL East rival Braves (12-13) in Atlanta. The Braves are coming off a split in a 4-game set with Cincinnati, and are currently tied with Miami in 2^nd place in the division standings.

This past week, Atlanta lost infielder Chris Johnson, who was splitting duties at third with Alberto Callaspo, for 3-6 weeks due to a previously broken bone and newly acquired bone bruises from a poor base-stealing attempt. On his injuries, Johnson stated, “The fracture is old from some time before and that’s what they saw in the X-rays last night… I’ve had that for a while. Bone bruises all around it is what is causing all the pain.” He is hopeful to return shortly after his mandatory 15 days on the DL are up.

Atlanta has a middle-of-the-pack offense led by outfielder Nick Markakis (.292/.394/.326, 5 RBI, 15 BB), 1st baseman Freddie Freeman (.284/.346/.505, 4 HR, 11 RBI), and shortstop Andrelton Simmons (.263/.320/.389, 1 HR, 14 RBI). Simmons is also universally considered the best defensive player in the game today.

Still leading the Fightin’ Phils offense are their own slick-fielding shortstop Freddy Galvis (.341/.379/.415, 1 HR, 8 RBI), and rookie sensation Odubel Herrera (.304/.340/.413, 9 RBI, 5 SB), while slow-starter Ben Revere is on the rise; bringing his average to .239 along with 5 stolen bases and 7 RBI.

This three-game series between the long-time rivals will take place at Turner Field, which the Braves are set to move on from following the 2016 season. Turner Field and Citizen’s Bank Park are very similar in dimensions. Turner Field runs 335, 400, and 330 feet to left, center, and right field, respectively. The Bank is 329, 401, and 330 feet to those points.

PITCHING MATCHUPS:

Aaron Harang (2-2, 2.51) v. Alex Wood (1-1, 4.03) – Coming off his first poor start of the season (6 IP, 5 ER, 9 H, 6 SO, 1 BB), Harang will try to rebound and add to his previous collection of solid starts to his 2015. Wood was not sharp last week when he faced the Nationals (5 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 8 SO, 1 BB). Not pleased after relinquishing a lead, Wood commented, “Usually when I get that early lead, I thrive… When they got those runs, that was disappointing.” Wood, who’s been pretty solid this year, will be looking for a recovery against a weak Phillies lineup.

Chad Billingsley (0-0, ERA N/A) v. Shelby Miller (3-1, 2.17) – Billingsley will return from two elbow surgeries to pitch in his first big league game since April of 2013. In four rehab outings, the longtime Dodgers righty had a 4.74 ERA. He may not be fantastic, but this outing is more about getting reacclimated to the big leagues again and holding his own. In his last start, Miller took a tough loss in a game he pitched relatively well (7 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 9 SO, 3 BB). In reference to just a few hard hit balls, Miller commented, “Made two terrible pitches down the middle… We were in the ballgame at that point and just gave it away. It’s on me.” He will be looking for a similar start against the Phils, just with a better outcome.

Jerome Williams (2-1, 4.08 ERA) v. Mike Foltynewicz (1-0, 3.60 ERA) – Williams was simply pedestrian (5 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 SO, 2 BB) against the Marlins last week. He is hopeful to get back on track against the Braves. In his MLB debut, Foltynewicz was pretty good (5 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 2 SO, 3 BB) against the Reds. Foltynewicz spoke afterward, stating: “The dream about just pitching in the major leagues and getting a win is pretty incredible… My teammates and I celebrated. It was pretty fun. It’s awesome.” Aside from maybe going a little deeper into the game, he is just looking for a replica performance to keep his team in the contest.

SERIES KEYS:

Ben Revere – Over the last 10 games, Revere has gone 12 for 39, good for a .308 average. He brought his season average from .172 to .239. This Revere from these last 10 games is the one everyone in Philly had gotten accustomed to seeing. In this series, he will need to continue to be a force atop the lineup. If he does, the Phils will score some necessary runs.

Solid Start for Billingsley – PECOTA projections have Billingsley at 70 innings pitched, a 4-5 record, and 3.99 ERA in 14 games started. If Billingsley ends up somewhere near these projections, he could be a nice trade chip at the deadline. However, he needs to get off to good start to get his confidence going into the season after not pitching in the big leagues for two years. Billingsley is a talented pitcher and keeping the Phillies in the game on Wednesday with a solid start would go a long way for them in the game and potentially the season.

BROADCAST INFORMATION:

Game 1 (Monday)- 7:10 PM, TV: CSN, Radio: 1210FM, 94AM, 1480AM (Spanish Language)

Game 2 (Tuesday)- 7:10 PM, TV: CSN, Radio: 1210FM, 94AM, 1480AM (Spanish Language)

Game 3 (Wednesday)- 7:10 PM, TV: CSN, Radio: 1210FM, 94AM, 1480AM (Spanish Language)

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE for Turner Field area

More from That Balls Outta Here

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• How Phillies’ Ranger Suárez is set to build on 2022 postseason dominance
• What can Philadelphia Phillies expect from Bryson Stott in 2023?
• 3 Reasons to get excited for Phillies’ Craig Kimbrel signing
• 11 Free-agent deals the Philadelphia Phillies wish fell through

This Afternoon

Sunny, with a high near 81. South wind around 5 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Southeast wind around 5 mph.

Tuesday

Sunny, with a high near 81. Light east wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning.

Tuesday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 60. East wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday

Sunny, with a high near 82. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.

Wednesday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 59.

INJURIES