Braves vs Phillies Preview: Atlanta looks to even the series

After a less-than-enjoyable game Friday night, the Braves are hoping to even the series against Philly.

The Phillies will be starting one of their two Cy Young candidates in Ranger Suarez. Suarez has been a solid starter for a while with his relatively low-hitting, high-groundball style, but he’s taken it to the next level this year by dropping his walk rate to under 2BB/9. His ERA is a spectacular 2.27, but his peripherals hover just under 3, which is still very strong. He has a true five-pitch mix, with a sinker, four-seamer, and cutter, along with a curveball and changeup. His curveball is probably his best pitch, but his mix is pretty balanced in the effectiveness of his various pitches. The Braves have had mixed success against the veteran lefty during his time in Philly, but the Braves’ offense is at its worst and he’s at his best since becoming a starting pitcher for the Phillies.

Atlanta may have to rely on run prevention to win Saturday, as the offense continues to struggle and faces a very good pitcher. Having Ozzie right-handed will be a major advantage. Regardless, they’re hoping for a good showing from their rookie, Spencer Schwellenbach. The Braves’ sophomore Spencer has been pretty solid in his rookie year, despite having extremely limited pitching experience, as he was primarily a shortstop in college, pitching only as a reliever. His ERA is below average at 5.68, but his most predictive metrics are around 4, which is pretty good for a rookie with his profile and experience. Hopefully he can see some positive regression and continue to develop at the major league level. Spencer has used a pretty effective six-pitch mix, with four-seam, sinker and cutter variations of his fastball, a curveball and slider, and a relatively new splitter. His slider has plenty of depth for the speed he throws it with, but his fastball can be pretty straight. It will be interesting to see him continue to develop, as he is still very early in his development as a pitcher.