Braves at Phillies
Just last week it appeared the Philadelphia Phillies' hopes of winning the National League East were fading, but a well-timed hot streak has pulled them back within striking distance of first place as they host the division-leading Atlanta Braves on Friday. The Phillies beat Detroit 4-0 on Wednesday behind homers from J.T. Realmuto and Nick Williams, and enter this weekend’s three-game set in third place but within 5 1/2 games of Atlanta after winning five of their past six contests.
“This is definitely a big series coming up,” Philadelphia catcher Andrew Knapp told reporters after Wednesday’s victory, a game that started 12 hours after the Phillies beat Detroit in 15 innings the night before. “We’re rolling. We’re pretty confident in the way we’re playing right now.” The Braves cannot say the same thing, not after being swept at home in a two-game series by Kansas City and falling for the sixth time in eight games. Ronald Acuna Jr. extended his on-base streak to 29 games with an infield single in the third inning of Wednesday’s 2-0 loss, in which gold glove first baseman Freddie Freeman’s second-inning error led to the game’s only runs. “We just could not get anything going these last two days,” Freeman told reporters after Wednesday’s defeat, as the Braves finished 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position in Tuesday’s 5-4 loss before collecting just five hits Wednesday.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS South (Atlanta), NBC 10 (Philadelphia)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Mike Soroka (10-2, 2.46 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Jake Arrieta (8-7, 4.40)
Soroka looks to rebound from his first loss since mid April on Saturday against Washington, in which he gave up four runs on nine hits over six innings - three runs and five hits coming in the fifth inning. The 21-year-old entered Thursday fourth in the NL in ERA and eighth in WHIP (1.09), and followed up his first All-Star appearance by striking out a career-best nine in seven shutout innings to beat San Diego on July 14. Soroka, who is 6-0 with a 1.13 ERA in nine road starts this season, allowed four runs on nine hits across 4 2/3 innings against the Phillies in his final start of the first half on July 4.
Arrieta gave up 15 runs on 28 hits over 16 1/3 innings across his final three starts of the first half, followed by news confirming he has a bone spur in his pitching elbow. All the 33-year-old has done in two starts since the All-Star break is allow two runs on 10 hits over 10 2/3 innings in starts against Washington and Pittsburgh, striking out six while getting no-decisions in a pair of Phillies victories. Arrieta held the Braves to one run on three hits in six innings during the season opener March 28, and lifetime is 5-2 with a 2.85 ERA in eight starts against Atlanta.
WALK-OFFS
1. Atlanta SS Dansby Swanson (heel) did not play Wednesday for precautionary reasons, but is expected back in the lineup Friday.
2. Philadelphia RF Bryce Harper did not play for the first time this season Wednesday, as the Phillies wanted to give him two days of rest with Thursday’s off day.
3. The Phillies lead the season series 5-4, but since sweeping a three-game set on the opening weekend of 2019 have lost four of their past six to the Braves, including two of three July 2-4 in Atlanta.