USATSI_18329209 — Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Phillies Look For Revenge Against NL East Rival Braves

The Philadelphia Phillies travel south to Atlanta where they will open the season series with a four-game set.

Author:
Declan Harris
May 23, 2022 11:31 AM EDT

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Philadelphia Phillies

For the first time since Sept. 30, 2021, the Philadelphia Phillies will take on the defending World Champions Atlanta Braves, who eliminated the Fightins' from playoff contention last season in a crushing sweep.

However, the two sides who partook in that series couldn't be more different, entering 2022 with new narratives and challenges.

The Braves outscored the Phillies 14-6 across all three games, as Philadelphia notably lacked offensive production across their lineup and from 2021 MVP Bryce Harper.

This low offensive drive was one of the key problems addressed with the signings of Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber. Schwarber leads the Phillies in home runs going into the series with 10, that total is second in the NL.

The biggest narrative for the Braves entering the season was the departure of franchise superstar Freddie Freeman, who left the club for the Los Angeles Dodgers following 11 seasons in Atlanta.

Taking the reins from Freeman was Matt Olson, who was traded from the Oakland Athletics for a slew of prospects. So far, it's safe to say that Olson has been putting up solid numbers, slashing .242/.361/.425, yet this may not be enough to fill Freeman's shoes.

Now Phillies and Braves are tied for second place in the NL East, following the Philadelphia's walk-off win against the Dodgers, and the Atlanta's loss to the Miami Marlins.

Let's take a look at the pitching match-ups for this series:

Game One:

Phillies Starter: Zack Wheeler 2-3, 3.49 ERA

Braves Starter: Tucker Davidson 1-0, 5.87 ERA

To open the series, Joe Girardi will send Zack Wheeler to the mound. He's coming off of a masterful seven-inning performance against the San Diego Padres in which he struck out nine. In his last outing against the Braves, Wheeler gave a similar stat line, going seven innings and striking out seven batters.

Davidson will take the mound for Atlanta, coming off of his first win of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers, going five innings while striking out three batters and allowing three walks.

First Pitch: Monday, 7:20 P.M. EST

Game Two:

Phillies Starter: Kyle Gibson 3-2, 3.98 ERA

Braves Starter: Max Fried 4-2, 3.31 ERA

The Braves have been an issue for Gibson so far in his career. His ERA against the club is 4.73. He'll be coming off of his second loss of the season against the Padres, where he gave up two runs on 5.2 innings.

Similar to Gibson, Fried is coming off of a rocky performance against the Brewers where he allowed seven hits and three runs across six innings pitched. Fried has never struggled against the Phillies, yet he's never been dominant either. His 4.01 ERA against Philadelphia is well above his career 3.34 ERA.

First Pitch: Tuesday, 7:20 P.M. EST

Game Three:

Phillies Starter: Ranger Suarez 4-2, 4.12 ERA

Braves Starter: Charlie Morton 3-3, 4.95 ERA

Suarez will look to bounce back from his no-decision in the Phillies' loss to the Dodgers, making it through three innings and allowing three runs before getting pulled. It was his second-shortest appearance of the season, his season debut against the Mets of two innings beating it out.

Former Phillie Charlie Morton will take the mound Wednesday, following a mediocre start against the Marlins in which he pitched 5.1 innings and allowed three runs.

First Pitch: Wednesday, 7:20 P.M. EST

Game Four:

Phillies Starter: TBD

Braves Starter: Kyle Wright 4-2, 2.49 ERA

Although Philadelphia hasn't announced their starter to close out the series, Aaron Nola is the favorite. He will be operating on five days' rest come Thursday, following his loss to the Dodgers on Saturday.

Wright will look for a second solid performance when he pitches against the Phillies on Thursday. Philadelphia has never been an easy team for Wright. In his three appearances against them, he's pitched to a 5.56 ERA,

First Pitch: Thursday, 7:20 P.M. EST

Players to Watch:

Phillies: Bryce Harper

Since coming back from a six-day recovery from a PRP injection, Harper has only been on base once. The Phillies need him to get hot now to move up the NL East table.

Braves: Ronald Acuna Jr.

Acuna Jr. has hit well since returning from injury, slashing .333/.500/.444 over the last five games. This recent pace, alongside Acuna Jr's tremendous stats against the Phillies, make him one of the most dangerous players in the National League.