Braves vs Phillies: Who comes out on top?
The Phillies come into the matchup after upsetting the St. Louis Cardinals in two wild card games.
The only other time the Braves and Phillies went head-to-head in the SCLN was in 1993, when Philadelphia won in six games. They eventually lost in the World Series to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Braves starter Spencer Strider is 4-0 with a 1.27 ERA against the Phillies this season, the most wins of any pitcher against the Phillies this campaign. In fact, only one pitcher has more wins against a single opponent this season (Justin Verlander, five against the Seattle Mariners).
In addition, Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber is batting just .127 with six home runs against the Braves this season. His .127 batting average was second worst against any National League opponent (.100 against the Chicago Cubs).
Who wins and why? Our experts answer those questions and more.
Some 12 of the 19 regular series games between the two teams were decided by three runs or less, including four one-run games, according to ESPN Data. The Braves dominated 11-8.
- Who comes in better and why?
The Braves have everything going for them in the Divisional Series against the Phillies: Better starting rotation, relief and offense. In addition, the reigning World Series champions will start the series at home and with adequate rest.
The Phillies are riding the momentum of their sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in the Wild Card Series, but in that major effort they used horses Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, which would prevent the former from having the opportunity to open twice against Atlanta.
Atlanta will have a rested and ready Max Fried for the opener and, if necessary, in a fifth and deciding game in Atlanta.
En route to winning 101 games and their fifth consecutive divisional title, the Braves had an 11-8 record against the Phillies in the regular series. To put the champions on the road, the Phillies will need much more than inspiration.
- Who (or what) will be the X-factor in the series?
The X-factor of the series should be the Braves’ mid-rotation rookie pitcher Strider. The young pitcher had the Phillies eating out of his hand all season in his four regular season starts with a 4-0 record and 1.27 ERA. In 21 innings he threw 34 strikeouts and only gave up three runs, two of which came on homers.
If Strider can keep it up, the Braves will have fewer problems when the series comes to Philadelphia, after Max Fried, who had a great season (14-7, 2.48), left behind the physical problems that forced him to leave his last start early, and Charlie Morton gets his playoff experience at home.
- Which Latino will play a key role?
The Divisional Series between the reigning MLB champions, Atlanta Braves, and their divisional rivals, Philadelphia Phillies, is set to be one of the most interesting due to the talent that both teams bring together. In a series where names like Bryce Harper and Matt Olson are involved, there is no doubt why the matchups between the two squads are eye-catching.
As for the Latin talent that will be involved, it is clear that the main protagonist is expected to be Venezuela’s Ronald Acuña Jr.
The player lost a number of important games during the year, however, if a player’s record in the Divisional Series is any predictor of the future, Acuña Jr. has more than proven his worth in these instances.
In 12 Divisional Series games, Acuña is batting .289 with a 1.030 OPS, three home runs and seven RBIs. Overall, these are his best numbers at any stage of the postseason.
