As the Red Sox and Yankees are battling in New York, one of baseball’s other great rivalries will be on display in Atlanta.
For the third time in the past five years, the Phillies and Braves will carry their NL East rivalry into the postseason. Philadelphia will come to Truist Park on Tuesday afternoon for Game 1 of the best-of-three Wild Card Series against Atlanta at 2 p.m. ET.
“It just feels right, doesn’t it?” Braves first baseman Matt Olson said. “We’ve had a lot of good battles with them. That’s what the postseason is for. We’ve got a lot of respect for them. They’re a good team. We’re ready to rock.”
The Braves enter the playoffs having won the division for the seventh time in the past nine seasons. But this didn’t mean anything in 2022 or '23 when Atlanta won 100-plus regular-season games and was eliminated by the Phillies in the NL Division Series.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Phillies: It’s up in the air. It was supposed to be Zack Wheeler, but he pitched on Sunday to get the Phillies in the postseason. So it could be rookie Andrew Painter, who threw a bullpen session on Sunday and would be pitching on normal rest. It could be left-hander Jesús Luzardo, who threw a clean inning in relief on Sunday. It was his first appearance since Sept. 7. It could be Aaron Nola, who threw only 21 pitches on short rest on Saturday.
Braves: Coming off one of the best regular seasons produced by a Braves pitcher, Chris Sale is looking forward to competing in the postseason for the first time since 2021. The veteran left-hander ranked third in the Majors with a 2.16 ERA this year. He had a 2.08 ERA in four starts (26 innings) against the Phillies.
Sale’s most memorable postseason moment occurred when he came out of the Red Sox's bullpen to close the 2018 World Series by striking out each of the three Dodgers he faced in the ninth inning of Game 6. But the playoffs haven’t always been kind to the 2024 NL Cy Young Award winner. He has a 7.24 ERA in seven postseason starts, and has completed less than five innings in four of those outings.
What might the starting lineups look like?
Phillies: Don Mattingly has shuffled his lineup several times in the past week as he tried to spark an offense that has been among MLB’s worst in September. There’s really no telling how it might look against Sale on Tuesday.
1. Trea Turner, SS
2. Kyle Schwarber, DH
3. Bryce Harper, RF
4. Alec Bohm, 1B
5. Bryson Stott, 2B
6. Edmundo Sosa, 3B
7. Bryan De La Cruz, LF
8. Derek Hill, CF
9. J.T. Realmuto, C
Braves: Ronald Acuña Jr.’s late-season surge was highlighted by the 1.377 OPS he produced in seven September games against the Phillies. But the lineup as a whole has struggled recently. Drake Baldwin and Mauricio Dubón are the only other players who have constructed a .750 OPS or better during the regular season’s final month.
1. Drake Baldwin, DH
2. Ronald Acuña, Jr., RF
3. Matt Olson, 1B
4. Michael Harris II, CF
5. Mauricio Dubón, SS
6. Ozzie Albies, 2B
7. Mike Yastrzemski, LF
8. Austin Riley, 3B
9. Sean Murphy, C
How will the bullpens lineup after the starter?
Phillies: The bullpen is a real issue for the Phillies, because it’s been an issue all season long, even more so in September. Rookie right-hander Alex McFarlane, righty Jonathan Bowlan and left-hander José Alvarado have been Don Mattingly’s most trusted late-inning relievers, other than closer Jhoan Duran. But expect to see Phillies’ starters who can’t pitch in the NL Wild Card Series to be available to pitch in relief. Wheeler becomes a guy, since he pitched in Sunday’s regular-season finale. Luzardo and Painter could pitch in relief, too, depending on how the rotation lines up.
Braves: Robert Suarez has made just two appearances over the past three months. But the outings he had against the Reds and Marlins over this past week were enough to convince the Braves his right elbow is healthy enough for him to be a high-leverage option in the bullpen. An effective Suarez paired with Raisel Iglesias, Dylan Lee and Didier Fuentes would give the Braves’ 'pen a formidable foursome. AJ Smith-Shawver and Dylan Dodd could be called upon to bridge the gap to these four top relief options.
Any injuries of note?
Phillies: Luis Arraez badly sprained his left ankle on Thursday. Mattingly said on Sunday that Arraez’s ankle had improved to the point that he could hypothetically pinch-hit on Sunday. But Arraez had not even swung the bat since the injury. And it seems almost certain that he cannot play in the field.
Bowlan has missed more than a week because of a right calf strain. It’s unclear if he’ll be ready by Game 1.
Braves: Lane Thomas (left intercostal strain) likely won’t be ready for this series. His absence may lead to Dubón moving from shortstop to left field against right-handed starters. Yastrzemski would start in left field against right-handed starters. Starting pitchers Bryce Elder (arthroscopic right knee surgery), Reynaldo López (right shoulder inflammation) and Martín Pérez (lower back discomfort) may be available in future rounds.
Who is hot and who is not?
Phillies: The entire Phillies offense has been cold this month. They were tied for 29th in baseball in September in batting average (.226) and slugging percentage (.356), and ranked 29th in OPS (.660) and runs per game (3.71).
Braves: Baldwin, Dubón and Harris have all produced an OPS of .850 or better going back to Sept. 14. Riley hit two homers during the regular season’s final week. But the final two weeks as a whole were frustrating for the third baseman. Albies had a sub-.500 OPS going back to Sept. 14.
Anything else fans might want to know?
The Phillies have won each of their last three playoff series against the Braves: 1993 NL Championship Series, 2022 NLDS and 2023 NLDS. The Phillies have won 10 of the 14 games during these series, including six of the eight played during this decade.