Aaron Harang (2-2, 2.51 ERA) is on the hill for the Philadelphia Phillies (9-17) as they square off against Alex Wood (1-1, 4.03 ERA) and the Atlanta Braves (12-13) in the first of a three-game series at Turner Field. Action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Monday, May. 4 and can be seen on CSN-PHI and SPSO.
Wood is 2-1 with a 2.14 ERA in his appearances against the Phillies, and goes up against a below-average Philadelphia offense which is batting just .221 this season. Kelly Johnson (.250, 10 Rs, 5 HRs, 13 RBIs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run, one home run, and two RBIs. Against the Braves, Harang is 2-3 with a 3.75 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and 52 strikeouts. Freddy Galvis (.341, 9 Rs, 1 HR, 8 RBIs) went 1 for 3 yesterday.
Atlanta is a -152 favorite against Philadelphia and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at seven runs. The Braves have an overall money line of -21 and a record as the favorite of 3-3. Within its division, Atlanta has a 3-3 record as favorite and an 8-10 record SU. The Braves have no trouble scoring as they rank fifth in the NL in offense with 4.2 runs per game. Atlanta is one of the best in the NL in terms of walks, earning an average of 3.4 per game. Atlanta’s pitching staff has been doing poorly against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, allowing an average of 6.0 runs per game, well above its season average of 4.8.
Over in the other dugout, Philadelphia is coming in with an overall money line of -752 and a disappointing record of 7-15 as the underdog. They played poorly as the underdog over their last 10 games with a 2-7 record, and a 3-7 record SU. Philadelphia is excellent at not striking out with just 6.7 per game, ranking second in the NL.
The Phillies lead the season series, 2-1. The Braves have a 9-12 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Harang takes the mound.
Predictions: SU Winner – ATL, O/U – Under
Notes
Atlanta earned its second shutout of the season in its last game. Philadelphia has been shut out three times this season.
When the Phillies play into extra innings, they have a 1-1 record. The Braves are 0-1 when their games exceed nine innings.
The Phillies are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Braves have a 3-6 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Braves are 9-4. The Phillies have a 6-1 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 29th in runs, Philadelphia has earned 72 this season. Atlanta ranks 12th with 107 runs.
Ranking 23rd, Philadelphia is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 61 this season. Atlanta ranks in the top 10 at 10th with 82.
When the Braves hit at least one home run, they are 8-7. When the Phillies hit at least one homer, they have a 3-7 record.
