ESPN chose this matchup for their Sunday Night Baseball broadcast, so don’t wager on it without considering our sports betting prediction.
A four-game winning streak had the Philadelphia Phillies’ confidence back going into Wednesday’s date with the Houston Astros.
However, the AL West leaders drubbed the NL East leaders, 10-0, as Taijuan Walker was shelled.
Now Walker is in the bullpen, and even though his deal has two more seasons on it, he might not be pitching at Citizens Bank Park after this campaign ends.
The Phils have dropped the last nine games he’s started, and since he came back from the IL on August 13, he has a 9.17 ERA.
Philadelphia did bounce back on Thursday to start another winning streak by taking the opener in a four-game set against the Atlanta Braves, whom they now lead by only six games, in a weekend set.
Sunday Night Baseball: Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies Preview | MLB Odds
When: Sunday, September 1, 2024, 7:00 pm ET
Where: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
TV: ESPN
Radio: ESPN Radio
Live Stream: ESPN+
Pitching Matchup: Spencer Schwellenbach (5-6, 3.72 ERA) (ATL) vs Aaron Nola (12-6, 3.30 ERA) (PHI)
Why should you bet on the Braves?
Spencer Schwellenbach has a respectable 3.07 ERA for the month of August, with five starts. That includes a 3-2 win over Philadelphia on August 22, when he threw 6 ⅔ innings, permitting two runs on three hits, striking out nine while walking just one on only 94 pitches. He followed that up with a scoreless 4 ⅔ innings in an 8-6 extra-inning win over the Twins on Tuesday. He struck out eight while walking three, but his pitch count hit 106 before he could finish that fifth inning and qualify for the win.
The Braves had a five-game road winning streak after sweeping the Twins (before losing in Philadelphia Thursday night) and now have a 13-6 record since August 10, giving them more wins over that time than any other NL team. Over their last 12 games, the Braves have gone 9-3. Their starting pitchers were sensational over that stretch that ended Wednesday, with a 4-0 record and a 2.10 ERA.
^Why should you put your money on the Phillies?
Aaron Nola has a 2.70 ERA over five starts in August, but his season ERA has dropped from 3.60 to 3.30 over his last three starts. He held the Washington Nationals scoreless over 6 ⅔ innings, scattering seven hits and two walks while fanning four. He followed that up with a 5 ⅓-inning outing against Atlanta on August 21, allowing a pair of runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and two walks. On Tuesday, he held Houston scoreless for seven innings, scattering four hits and a walk while striking out six to get his twelfth win of the year. This is the Aaron Nola the Phillies have been waiting on for years now.
The offense had looked a bit peaked before that four-game winning streak, and having the Astros blank them wasn’t encouraging. However, Nick Castellanos is just one hitter on the team who has seen recent improvement. He started with a .194 average and a .556 OPS (which ranked 140th out of 144 players) through May 18. Since May 19, though, his OPS is .813 (41st of 133 qualified hitters), and he’s hitting .280 with 14 home runs and 54 RBI over that stretch. That kind of consistency will help the Phillies push into the playoffs. ^
Braves vs Phillies Final Score and Prediction for Sunday Night Baseball
The way Nola has been pitching, I see him guiding the Phillies effectively in this prime-time showdown. Philadelphia has learned how to deal with adversity, and while I don’t see them getting the four-game sweep, I see them finishing with a 4-2 win.
^How deep of a playoff run will the Braves make?
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 30, 2024
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