Clinging onto Wild Card hopes, Phillies welcome Braves to town

Even after taking two of three from the New York Mets over the weekend, the Philadelphia Phillies have just a 4.7 percent chance to reach the postseason according to FanGraphs. So why are projections so down on the Phillies odds despite being just two games out of the second National League Wild Card spot? It probably has something to do with the fact that the next 17 games the Phillies are scheduled to play are against teams with winning records.

The Atlanta Braves are the first team on that slate – they are 89-55 and 14 games ahead of the Phillies in the National League East. Monday night, the Phillies will open up a four-game series against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Brian Snitker’s squad could win 100 games before the regular season concludes, so they, of course, aren’t a great team for the Phillies to attempt to reach their first five-game winning streak of 2019 against. But the Phillies enter the series having won two games in a row, and officially at the now or never point of the 2019 season.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Monday evening’s Phillies-Braves tilt:

Braves Lineup

1. Ronald Acuna Jr., center field
2. Ozzie Albies, second base
3. Freddie Freeman, first base
4. Josh Donaldson, third base
5. Matt Joyce, right field
6. Brian McCann, catcher
7. Dansby Swanson, shortstop
8. Rafael Oretga, left field
9. Mike Foltynewicz

Phillies Lineup

1. Cesar Hernandez, second base
2. J.T. Realmuto, catcher
3. Bryce Harper, right field
4. Rhys Hoskins, first base
5. Corey Dickerson, left field
6. Jean Segura, shortstop
7. Adam Haseley, center field
8. Maikel Franco, third base
9. Aaron Nola, pitcher 

Shibe Vintage Sports Starting Pitching Matchup

• Mike Foltynewicz (5-5, 5.28 ERA and 5.45 FIP) vs. Aaron Nola (12-4, 3.63 ERA and 3.94 FIP)
• 2019 has been a massive disappointment for Foltynewicz, who was an All-Star in 2018 and finished in the top 10 in National League Cy Young Award voting.
• Nola is 3-0 with a 3.60 ERA in four starts against the Braves in 2019.

Pregame Phillies Nuggets

1. Bryce Harper has five home runs against the Braves in 2019, the most against any individual opponent.
2. Freddie Freeman, one of the all-time great Phillies killers, is hitting .357 with two home runs and 10 RBIs against the Phillies in 2019. His magic against the Phillies appears to have rubbed off on Josh Donaldson, who has five home runs and 12 RBIs against the Phillies in 2019.
3. Despite a heavy workload, J.T. Realmuto appears to be getting stronger as the season goes along. Since the All-Star Game, Realmuto is slashing .296/.340/.603 with 13 home runs, 37 RBIs and a .943 OPS in 189 at-bats.

Programming Information

• Citizens Bank Park 
• 7:05 p.m. ET
• NBC Sports Philadelphia
• SportsRadio 94 WIP

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