The Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves are the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the National League East, respectively. And it’s becoming clear that the division is going to be a two-team race between those two units, so consider the upcoming series as a crucial one. At press, the Phillies are -110 to win the division, while the Braves are priced at +160.
Starters: Nick Pivetta (4-1, 4.93 ERA) vs. Max Fried (7-3, 3.75 ERA)
Pitching:
Pivetta is enjoying some good stretch, as he has surrendered just four earned runs in his last 20 innings on the mound. In his last start, he threw a complete-game 1-run game with six strikeouts in a 4-1 home win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Jun. 8. Fried picked up a no-decision in his most recent start, when he allowed three earned runs on six hits in 6.0 innings of mound duty in a 7-6 road win over the Miami Marlins on Jun. 9. Fried is 3-2 with a 2.75 ERA in six home starts this season.
Hitting
The Phillies are ninth in the majors as of this writing with a .256 batting average against lefties.
Ender Inciarte is 9-for-22 in career vs. Pivetta.
Prediction: Phillies win, 5-3.
GAME 2
Starters: Aaron Nola (6-1, 4.58 ERA) vs. Kevin Gasuman (2-5, 6.15 ERA)
Pitching:
Nola is suddenly struggling, having allowed a total of nine earned runs on 12 hits over the last 12 innings he was on the mound. That includes the 4-3 home loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Jun. 9 in which he allowed three earned runs on four hits in 6.2 innings. Nola is 3-1 with a 6.75 ERA in five road starts this season. Gausman has been worse of late, He allowed seven earned runs on 12 hits in a 7-4 road loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Jun. 5. Prior to that, he surrendered eight runs on eight hits in just an inning of a 14-4 home loss to the Washington Nationals on May 29. He is 1-3 with a 6.35 ERA in six home starts.
Hitting
Bryce Harper is 4-for-10 in career. Vs. Gausman.
Ronald Acuna Jr. is 3-for-7 in career vs. Nola.
Prediction: Phillies win, 5-3.
GAME 3
Starters: Jerad Eickhoff (3-3, 4.14 ERA) vs. Mike Foltynewicz (1-5, 5.89 ERA)
Pitching:
Eickhoff allowed three earned runs on four hits in 6.0 innings of a 9-6 road win over the San Diego Padres on Jun. 4. He’ll still need to do better though as he has allowed at least four earned runs in three of his last four starts. Foltynewicz has given up eight earned runs over his last two starts, which spanned 11.0 innings. He is winless in five home starts this season, recording a high 7.18 ERA in those contests.
Hitting
Maikel Franco is 7-for-22 in career vs. Foltynewicz.
Freddie Freeman is 10-for-25 in career vs. Eickhoff
