Phillies vs Braves Division Series: Rising Stars on Display in NLDS Series
Can The Surprising Phillies Pull Off Another Postseason Upset?
Division Rivals Square Off in National League Division Series
Proving that it is not how you start, but how you finish that matters, both the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves overcame tough starts and are among the final four National League teams vying for a spot in the World Series. Atlanta, the defending World Series champions, is favored when looking at the Phillies vs Braves Division Series preview.
The Phillies let go of veteran manager Joe Girardi and the move paid immediate dividends. Atlanta made no such moves. The Braves did rely on some unproven players, and in the second half of the season, only the Los Angeles Dodgers have a better record among National League teams.
The Braves are priced at +500, second among NL teams, in the MLB odds to win the World Series while the Phillies come in at +1200.
The Braves are priced at +500, second among NL teams, in the odds to win the World Series while the Phillies come in at +1200.
Marsh’s Acquisition Paying Off for Philadelphia Phillies
Other trades garnered more attention, but the Phillies getting 24-year-old outfielder Brandon Marsh in a deal with the perpetually underachieving Los Angeles Angels can’t be overlooked.
Marsh has hits in six of the seven games he played in during October. Still, the Phillies vs Braves series preview favors Atlanta.
He had an RBI in the opener against St. Louis, as the Phillies swept the favored Cardinals. He is hitting .333 with four doubles, a home run and three RBIs.
Joining 26-year-old third baseman Alec Bohm, two of the best hitters for Philadelphia in the wild-card series were players making their postseason debuts.
Braves Look to Continue Their Red-Hot Play
Some left the Braves’ NL East Division hopes for dead, as the defending World Series champion fell further behind the New York Mets.
Don’t look now, but the Mets were eliminated in the wild-card round, and the Braves are entering the Division Series looking to become the first repeat World Series champion since the New York Yankees won three titles in a row from 1998-2000.
The Braves were led by some players that were flying under the radar when the season began.
Outfielder Michael Harris led the Braves with 45 runs, 74 hits and 30 extra-base hits over the second half of the season, while infielder Vaughn Grissom hit .291 with 11 of his 41 hits going for extra bases.
Spencer Strider, who was just signed to a lucrative extension, was 7-2 with a 2.20 ERA and a team-leading 88 strikeouts during that stretch.
Who’s Hot
- Connor Brogdon, Phillies P: Brogdon has allowed over his last six appearances. He has allowed five hits and struck out four in 5.2 innings in those games.
- Raisel Iglesias, Braves P: Iglesias hasn’t allowed a run in six innings during his last six outings.
- Matt Olson, Braves 1B: Olson is batting .348 with four home runs and seven RBIs over his last seven games.
- Kyle Schwarber, Phillies OF: Schwarber was 8 of 22 with four home runs and seven RBIs in his last seven regular-season games
Who’s Not
- Nick Castellanos, Phillies OF: Castellanos has two hits in his last 24 at-bats, including going 0 for 7 in the two playoff games.
- Michael Harris, Braves OF: Harris is 2 for 17 with six strikeouts in his last five games.
- Ranger Suarez, Phillies P: The probable Game 1 starter allowed seven hits, including three home runs and six runs in three innings in his last start.
- Kyle Wright, Braves P: Wright has a 5.26 ERA over his last five starts. He is 4-0 in those starts.
Phillies vs Braves Injury Update
Phillies reliever Corey Knebel has been on the injured list since mid-August.
For the Braves, pitcher Spencer Strider has been dealing with an oblique issue. Manager Brian Snitker said Strider had a promising bullpen session, but his role in this series is unknown.
Phillies vs Braves Head to Head
- The Braves have won five of the last seven games against the Phillies, and that includes the last two games when the teams combined to score 24 runs.
- Atlanta has won six of the eight matchups at home in 2022.
- There have been four one-run games between the division rivals this season, with the Braves winning three of them.
- Strider is 4-0 with an ERA of 1.27 against the Phillies this season, while William Contreras leads the way with four home runs.
- J.T. Realmuto tops the Phillies with 12 RBIs against the Braves during the regular season.
Phillies vs Braves Betting Preview
Max Fried, who won two games during Atlanta’s run to the 2021 World Series title, is slated to pitch in the series opener while Philadelphia will counter with Ranger Suarez as he makes his postseason debut.
When looking at the MLB standings by division, the Phillies finished 14 games behind the Braves in the NL East; however, the season series finished 11-8 in favor of Atlanta.
Philadelphia wasn’t given much of a chance to beat St. Louis in the wild-card round and with questions surrounding Strider, one of Atlanta’s best starting pitchers. Perhaps another surprise could be brewing.
Starters Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler combined to throw 13 scoreless innings in the series against the Cardinals.
The Braves have won 13 of the last 14 games at home. They will look to continue piling up the home wins, when the NL Division series begins with the Phillies vs Braves – playing the first two games in Atlanta.
