Just over a week after battling through a four-game series in Philadelphia, the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies are ready to meet again — this time at Truist Park, where Friday’s contest will open a crucial three-game divisional clash in Cobb County.
The Braves will hand the ball to Chris Sale for the series opener, marking his sixth straight start against a team currently holding a postseason position. During that impressive stretch, Sale has delivered 33 innings of dominant pitching, posting a 2.18 ERA and a remarkable 1.55 FIP against some of the league’s toughest competition.
Sale has been one of Atlanta’s biggest weapons during the final push of the season, and the Braves will once again rely on their ace to set the tone. If they want to create more separation in the NL East race, another strong performance from the veteran left-hander could be exactly what they need.
One of the most intriguing storylines heading into this matchup is Sale’s familiarity with Philadelphia. This will be the fourth time this season that the Braves have sent him out to face the Phillies, and the results have largely favored Atlanta.
Across two starts against Philadelphia in April, Sale allowed just one run over 13 innings. He also faced them last Thursday, leaving the game with the lead after allowing only two runs across six innings. The Phillies will be hoping their next opportunity against him produces better results, but considering how locked in Sale has been lately, breaking through against him will be a difficult challenge.
Several individual matchups will be worth watching, including Sale against Alec Bohm, who has hit .333 with an .821 OPS and one home run in 21 career at-bats against him. Trea Turner has also found some success, batting .318 with an .830 OPS in 22 at-bats.
Of course, the biggest threat remains Kyle Schwarber. Although he is hitting just .227 against Sale, Schwarber owns an impressive .883 OPS thanks in large part to two home runs against the lefty. The Phillies slugger has also been scorching hot recently, going deep in four of his last six games — including three homers against Atlanta.
Schwarber’s approach is no secret: he will be looking to attack and send the ball into the seats. Sale’s ability to keep him from doing damage could go a long way toward deciding Friday’s outcome.
Philadelphia will counter with Aaron Nola, who has quietly turned his season around and become one of the tougher pitchers to face in recent months.
Since his July 28 outing, Nola has made eight starts, throwing 46.2 innings while recording a 2.31 ERA and a 3.93 FIP. The Phillies veteran has not allowed more than two runs in an outing since August 3, when the Nationals managed only three runs against him over six innings.
Nola was especially effective against Atlanta during their recent meeting, limiting the Braves to one run over seven innings before leaving the game. Atlanta eventually rallied after he departed, but the offense will need to find a way to generate more pressure earlier this time around.
The Braves have had success against Nola at Truist Park before, including a six-run outburst over 4.2 innings on April 26. However, the adjustments he has made since then have helped him become a much more difficult opponent.
Still, baseball has a way of producing unexpected moments, and Atlanta has consistently shown the ability to create big performances at home.
The stakes are clear for both teams. After each club dropped a midweek series against American League division leaders, the Braves maintained their four-game advantage in the NL East. Philadelphia is the team facing the greater urgency, while Atlanta simply needs to continue playing at its current level to remain in control of the division.
However, the Braves are not interested in simply holding their position. A series victory over the Phillies would allow Atlanta to strengthen its grip on the division race and put even more pressure on their closest rivals.
With Sale on the mound and home-field advantage on their side, the Braves have a major opportunity to start this weekend in the best possible way. A low-scoring battle between two talented pitching staffs seems likely, but Atlanta will hope its ace can once again deliver against Philadelphia and push the Braves closer to the finish line.