Phillies’ postseason odds improve dramatically with huge win over Braves

Phillies postseason odds increase significantly after victory over Braves

The Philadelphia Phillies faced the Atlanta Braves Monday night for the first time this season and started the series with a commanding victory.

With a 7-3 victory in the series opener, the Phillies knocked the Braves down from their second-place tie in the NL East. The two teams have been in close competition in the division, and since they’re not close to the first-place New York Mets in the standings, each is vying for one of three Wild Card berths.

The first win of the series produced an larger impact than just another game in the win column. According to Baseball-Reference, beating the Braves increased the Phillies’ playoff odds by 8.6 percent, while the Braves’ chances decreased by 10.4 percent.

The Phillies have the evident advantage over the Braves in their batting lineup

As long as the Phillies can continue to play to their best ability, they can take home the series win and continue building momentum. Offensively, the Phillies blow the Braves out of the water. The Phillies produce several batting stats among the top ten of the league, whereas the Braves fall in the lower half in most areas.

The Braves have the third-lowest batting average in the National League, whereas the Phillies rank fifth in MLB. Atlanta is below league average in almost every offensive metric, including runs scored, hits, and RBI, and have the second-most strikeouts of any MLB lineup.

With the additions of Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos to the lineup, the Phillies are still inconsistent, but decidedly more powerful than last year. They’re tied for sixth in MLB in runs scored, and rank sixth in hits, fifth in home runs and batting average, eighth in RBI, fourth in slugging percentage, and seventh in OPS.

If the Phillies can improve consistency and keep beating the Braves, they have a chance to get closer to postseason success for the first time in over a decade.