The Atlanta Braves will get a rematch with the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series. While Atlanta’s offense has been its unquestioned strength this season, this rematch from 2022 will likely come down to pitching. Specifically, the health of the Braves’ pitching staff is the question. Are the Braves ready for that test?
Atlanta Should Learn From the Past
History in the Unmaking
This is the marquee matchup this round as it begins October 7 at Truist Park in Atlanta. Game two is scheduled for Monday and then the series shifts to Philadelphia on Wednesday (and, if needed, Thursday). If it comes down to a fifth game, it would be played in Atlanta on October 14.
Atlanta was 14 games better than the Phillies in the regular season in 2023. Coincidently, the Braves were 14 games better than the Phillies in 2022 as well. The Phillies didn’t seem impressed last year, knocking off the Braves in four games on their way to the World Series, where they were beaten by the Houston Astros.
The Braves are hoping for a different outcome this time around. Their lineup rolled out each night by Brian Snitker is one of the best in baseball history. The group slugged an astounding .501 this season. Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first member of the 40-70 club. The ball could be flying in this series, unless Spencer Strider or Zack Wheeler have something to say about that.
Armed and Ready?
These rotations match up quite well with each other. Max Fried, who missed almost three months with a strained left forearm, should be available. If so, it will make it a great twosome on both sides of the dugout. In the regular season, Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler pitched more, but Stider and Fried struck out more batters and had a better ERA.
Strider will start the first game as Atlanta is 25-6 in those starts this season. Of those six losses, four of them have been within three runs altogether. What happens after those two? Well, right-hander Charlie Morton is out until at least the League Championship Series due to a sprained right index finger. The most likely option is to start Bryce Elder, who would be the presumptive third starter. During his first full MLB season, Elder went 12-4 with a 3.81 ERA, 63 walks and 128 strikeouts in 174 2/3 innings. If he doesn’t start game three, the Braves will likely opt for a bullpen game.
Atlanta’s 5.32 ERA in September was the fourth-worst in the majors. It was twice as high as Philadelphia’s 2.74 ERA, which was the fourth-best in the majors for the month. The Braves will leave heavily on A.J. Minter, who along with Will Smith and Tyler Matzek, they were a part of the bullpen that helped them to the World Series championship two seasons ago. Pierce Johnson and Joe Jiménez will likely serve as the primary setup men for closer Raisel Iglesias. Minter and Brad Hand are the only left-handers. Kirby Yates and Jesse Chavez are available for middle-inning work.
Home of the Braves
When the Braves entered the postseason last year, Fried was diminished by the flu while Strider was weakened by an injury. This time around, both will be ready to go as things might be different now. The Braves’ season of astounding numbers and records comes down to a simple magic number of 11. That is, the Braves need 11 wins to capture a championship. Atlanta believes a major difference this year is their offense, which was good but inconsistent last year. Their lineup is deep and dangerous as any in baseball and it’s the reason they can beat the Phillies. Adding another World Series championship will be a fitting end to a season of huge accomplishments.
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