In the second of a three-game series between the Atlanta Braves (12-14) and the Philadelphia Phillies (12-14) at Turner Field, Shelby Miller (3-1, 2.17 ERA) and Chad Billingsley (0-0, 0.00 ERA) take the mound. The Phillies won the last game 5-2 and Philadelphia leads the series 1-0. The game gets underway at 7:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May. 5 and will air on CSN-PHI and SPSO.
Miller is 2-1 with a 3.28 ERA against the Phillies in his career, and is up against a less-than-stellar Philadelphia offense that’s hitting just .228 on the year. In his pitching opportunities against the Braves, Billingsley is 2-3 with a 3.14 ERA, 53 strikeouts and 24 walks. Freddy Galvis (.349, 9 Rs, 1 HR, 8 RBIs) has been doing well offensively for the Phillies, going 2 for 4 yesterday.
Atlanta, a -162 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Philadelphia. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is seven runs. The Braves are 3-3 as the favorite and have an overall money line of +111. They have an 8-10 record SU and are 3-3 as favorite within their division. The Braves come into the game with the fourth-ranked scoring offense in the NL, averaging 4.3 runs per game. They have been very patient at the plate, ranking fourth in the NL with an average of 3.3 walks per game.
Switching gears, the Phillies come into this game with a weak win percentage of .348 when playing as the underdog (8-15) and an overall money line of -591. Against divisional foes, they are 7-12 SU and have played poorly as the underdog with a 6-11 record. Opposing pitchers have routinely struggled to strike out the Philadelphia batters, who rank second in the NL with 6.9 strikeouts per game. Playing against NL East foes really brings the best out of the Philadelphia pitchers. They allow 4.2 runs per game against teams within their division, which is lower than their season average of 4.7.
In their previous four games this season, the Phillies have a 3-1 record. This game will feature Billingsley (RHP) on the mound against the Braves, who have a 10-12 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed Miller will take the mound against the Phillies, who have a 7-15 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – ATL, O/U – Under
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Philadelphia is 8-8, while Atlanta is 5-11.
The Braves are coming off of a weak pitching game where they recorded five strikeouts. The Phillies have a record of 7-3 when opponents’ pitchers have that many strikeouts or fewer.
When outhit, the Braves and the Phillies both have losing records. Atlanta has a 2-10 record in these situations while Philadelphia is 3-15.
Ranking 29th in home runs, Philadelphia has hit 14 this season. Atlanta ranks 14th with 21 home runs.
Ranking 15th, Philadelphia is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 7.27 per game. Atlanta ranks in the top 10 at ninth with 8.12.
Ranking 30th, Philadelphia is at the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.613). Atlanta ranks in the bottom half at 16th with an OPS of .701.
The Phillies are 5-10 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Braves are 3-9 when they allow at least one homer.
