Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies preview: Cliff Lee beckons

Apr 14, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Dan Uggla (26) celebrates win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Braves defeated the Phillies, 9-6. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

UPDATE #2: The Phillies/Braves game has been POSTPONED due to inclement weather. Per David O’Brien of the AJC, the game will be made up during the series scheduled to be played June 27-29. 

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Update: The lineup has been posted (despite treacherous weather forecasts) for tonight’s game.

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There were some serious fireworks in the late innings as the Atlanta Braves topped the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night, but with the road team riding a 4-game winning streak, the schedule isn’t doing them any favors in game two. Still, the Braves are scorching hot at the moment, and not even a face-off against one of the best pitchers on the planet can quell that optimism.

Speaking of high-end pitchers, Philadelphia starter Cliff Lee is one of them, and he represents the tall task for the Braves. Fortunately, the 35-year-old Lee hasn’t been quite as dominant as he usually is this season, posting a 5.50 ERA, but if you break down the peripherals (2.35 FIP, 0.50 BB/9, .431 BABIP allowed), it is pretty clear that the southpaw has faced some bad luck thus far. The Braves have some quality options from the right side of plate, including Dan Uggla and Evan Gattis who were both lights-out on Monday, but if Lee is on his game, it could be a long evening for the bats.

Atlanta’s starting pitcher, David Hale, is coming off of an ugly outing in New York last week. Hale issued 5 walks in only 4.1 innings of work, and with that, his walk rate has skyrocketed to an unmanageable 6.75 per 9 innings this season. However, the 26-year-old right-hander has managed to walk between raindrops to the tune of a 2.89 ERA, and on the bright side, this Phillies lineup isn’t exactly the 1927 New York Yankees. If Hale can avoid being tagged by guys like Ryan Howard and Chase Utley (who wear out right-handed pitching), he will be okay, and the offense behind him has been so good that it may not matter.

Here is a look at the particulars for Tuesday:

Date: April 15, 2014

Start Time: 7:00 p.m.

TV Channel: MLB Network, SportSouth

Radio: 680 AM/106.7 FM (Local in Atlanta), Full list of Local Affiliates

Live Stream: MLB.tv (Click Here, $)

Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@ATLBeatBlog) for more information, and check back after the game for a full recap. Sound off in the comments!

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