The Philadelphia Phillies recently saw a winning streak come to an end — one that had fans buzzing — but reality is back, and it comes in the form of Ronald Acuña Jr., who recently returned to the Atlanta Braves lineup after a lengthy injury absence.
Heading into the series against Acuña Jr.’s Braves, the Phillies own the 12th-best ERA in MLB at 3.72, while Atlanta sits close behind in 14th at 3.74. At least on the mound, this series figures to be evenly matched.
These two teams met earlier this season in April, with the Braves taking two of three games at Truist Park. The Phillies managed to escape with a 4–3 win in Game 2, but the flaws in their rotation were still evident throughout that series.
Phillies’ rotation vs. Braves
To try and contain Acuña Jr., the Phillies are leaning left-handed this time around, according to a report from Matt Gelb. That means only one right-handed starter will face the Braves in this series, while Taijuan Walker has been pushed to Friday to face the Brewers instead.
- Ranger Suárez
- Zack Wheeler
- Cristopher Sánchez
Among the three, Wheeler has the strongest numbers this MLB season with a 6–1 record and a 2.42 ERA. Suárez remains undefeated in three outings, carrying a 3.70 ERA. Sánchez, meanwhile, enters the series with a 4–1 record and a 3.17 ERA over 54 innings.
Zack Wheeler of the Philadelphia Phillies
Acuña Jr. vs. Phillies rotation
Acuña Jr. has plenty of history against Suárez, hitting just .214 over eight games against the Phillies lefty. He’s seen Wheeler even more, going 12-for-47 with four home runs across 48 plate appearances. Against Sánchez, the sample size is small — just six plate appearances — but he’s managed three hits, including a home run and an RBI.
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Will the Phillies be able to stop Acuña Jr.?
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