Atlanta are tipped to win the opening game of this Wild Card series.
The Braves are one of the best offensive teams in baseball and are also sending out an outstanding pitcher in Chris Sale – that spells trouble for a Phillies team that stumbled into the postseason.
Key Numbers – Will Braves Make It 10 Wins In 15 Meetings This Season?
- Atlanta Braves won 9 of the 13 regular season meetings
- Philadelphia Phillies have lost 9 of their previous 15 games
- Atlanta pitcher Chris Sale won all 4 regular season starts against Philadelphia
- 8 of the last 10 meetings have produced over 6.5 total runs
Braves Lead All-Time Head-To-Head; Phillies Won Last Meeting
- Atlanta Braves lead the all-time series 1343-1226-15
- Philadelphia Phillies won 9-4 when the two teams last met on September 13
Philadelphia Phillies Form – Phillies Finished 2nd In Division
Philadelphia booked their place in the postseason by finishing second in the NL East, six games behind Atlanta.
The enter the playoffs having snapped a four-game losing skid by winning back-to-back home games agasinst Tampa Bay last weekend.
| W | L | PCT | RUN DIFF. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 88 | 74 | .543 | +15 |
Atlanta Braves Form – Braves Won NL East Division Again
Atlanta secured their playoff place by finishing atop the NL East once again, but their 94 wins was not enough to earn a bye.
The Braves come into this series having lost five of their final seven games, but having taken their foot off the gas once a postseason berth was secured.
| W | L | PCT | RUN DIFF. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 94 | 68 | .580 | +116 |
Projected Starting Pitchers
| Player | Team | Record | ERA | Strikeouts | Innings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cristopher Sanchez | Philadelphia Phillies | 18-7 | 2.91 | 231 | 207., |
| Chris Sale | Atlanta Braves | 14-9 | 2.16 | 200 | 162.2 |