Categories: 2018 Gameday

Gameday 2018: Braves (28-17) at Phillies (26-18)

Welcome to the biggest series of Phillies baseball in seven years.

The Atlanta Braves come to town for a three-game set, and here are the National League East standings:

  1. Braves – 28-17
  2. Phillies – 26-18

The Braves have the best winning percentage in the National League (thanks most recently to the Marlins), while the Phillies split four games against the Cardinals and have the third-best winning mark in the league. Both teams have played pretty well this season, and now that we’re past the quarter pole, we can say very honestly that this is a big deal. So here we are: the biggest series of Phillies baseball in seven years.

Are you ready? I am. These are going to be fun, annoying, stomach-churning, exciting, nutty games.

Gametime: 7:05 p.m.

The lineup:

  1. Hernandez – 2B
  2. Hoskins – LF
  3. Herrera – CF
  4. Franco – 3B
  5. Santana – 1B
  6. Alfaro – C
  7. Williams – RF
  8. Kingery – SS
  9. Pivetta – P

Pitchers: Nick Pivetta (3-2, 3.72 ERA) vs. Mike Foltynewicz (3-2, 2.87 ERA)

How is Mike Foltynewicz THIS good? Look, he is good. But he’s THIS good? Tonight is about Pivetta putting it all together and stomping all over Atlanta.

Meanwhile the starting lineup has shifted. Maikel Franco is in the cleanup spot, while Jorge Alfaro moves up to six, pushing Nick Williams to seven. A lot of left-right-left-right tonight. Very interesting.

Your Gameday Beer: Bell’s makes really good beer. They just do it right. Tonight, grab a Hopslam Ale. Or a Two-Hearted. Or a Kalamazoo Stout. Whatever – all of it is good. Tonight is about the game. Focus. Attention. Root. Let’s. Go.

Go Phillies!

Share
Tim Malcolm

Tim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.

Get throwback Phillies styles from Shibe Vintage Sports in Center City Philly