Braves vs Phillies Series Preview (8/2-8/4)

Aug 1, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves center fielder Jason Heyward (22) celebrates a victory against the Colorado Rockies at Turner Field. The Braves defeated the Rockies 11-2. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Coming off a perfect 7-0 home stand against two very good offensive teams, the Braves pack their things up and head to the city of brotherly love better known as Philadelphia to square off against the Phillies in a three game set starting Friday.

The Braves offense looked to be on point during the previous home stand, especially since manager Fredi Gonzalez did a little tinkering with the lineup moving Jason Heyward to the lead-off spot.

The Braves do have something to prove, however, as they are only 26-30 on the road this year. Getting wins on the road is a big factor going into the playoffs and with a team who is struggling like Philadelphia could be a good starting point for the Braves.

As for the Phillies it’s been a dud season in Philadelphia. The Phillies find themselves 13 1/2 games out of first place and with real no serious threat to the Braves. With injuries to Ryan Howard and many other Phillies, they look to hopefully breathe some life back into the season and finish above the .500 mark.

Here is the pitching match-up for the series:

Friday: Kris Medlen (7-10, 3.74 ERA) vs Ethan Martin (MLB Debut)

Medlen seemingly had a bounce back performance against the Cardinals on Sunday Night Baseball that allowed the Braves to sweep the Cardinals. He was able to locate his fastball and throw his secondary pitches for consistent strikes. But it won’t be an easy task for Medlen, as he has struggled mightily against the Phillies this year–going 0-2 with a 6.97 ERA against Philadelphia.

Subbing in for Cliff Lee who went down with a stiff neck, Phillies’ fans will get a glimpse at the future of the Philadelphia pitching staff as Ethan Martin will be making his Major League debut against the Braves. In Triple-A this year, Martin was 11-5 with a 4.12 ERA in 21 starts.

Saturday: Brandon Beachy (0-0 17.18 ERA) vs TBA

While Braves’ fans were glad to see Beachy return to the rotation, it was a bit of a struggle for him against Colorado Monday night in Atlanta. Beachy went 3 2/3 innings and gave up seven earned runs, two homers, as he struggled to keep the ball down for most of the entire night.

However, as I said in an earlier post, all bad things come with a good. Beachy did generate 11 swinging strikes on pitches and when he found his command, he did show some signs of the old Beachy that Braves’ fans have come to know and love.

Sunday: Alex Wood (1-2, 3.51 ERA) vs John Lannan (3-4, 4.10 ERA)

Alex Wood was able to pick up his first big league win on Tuesday shutting down the Rockies. Wood threw 99 pitches over seven innings and was able to shake off the two home runs he gave up to the Rockies. In his last three starts, Wood is 1-0 with a 4.20 ERA and 15 strikeouts over 15 innings.

Wood will be opposed by John Lannan who pitched brilliantly, ending the Phillies’ eight game losing streak. Lannan went seven innings of three run work against the Giants and has pitched at least seven innings in three of his last four starts.

Quick Notes:

Justin Upton had two home runs last night against Colorado which matches his June and July totals combined.

Chris Johnson’s three hits in the series finale Thursday gave him a seven-game multi-hit streak. He leads the NL with a .346 average.

Andrelton Simmons struck out for the first time last night since the All-Star break.

Despite playing in a bandbox of a field, the Phillies offense ranks just 13th in the NL in terms of runs scored, and eighth in home runs. Safe to say that they miss Ryan Howard.

What To Expect:

The Braves have the best home record in the majors (38-17), but are just a mere 26-30 on the road. Winning two out of three, if not sweeping the Phillies, could send the Braves a huge bolster of confidence on the road. It’s not easy winning on the road in any sport, but if the Braves can find a way to win the series on the road, things might start to look pretty scary for opposing teams in their way.