Braves vs. Phillies Preview
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – The Atlanta Braves have been shut down by the first two Philadelphia Phillies All-Stars they’ve faced.
Generating offense in the finale doesn’t seem like it will be any easier.
All-Star Cole Hamels looks to continue his recent dominance and help the Phillies hold off the charging Braves on Sunday at Citizens Bank Park.
According to MLB odds and oddsmakers from online sports book Bodog have made the Phillies -175 money line favorites for Sunday’s game against the Braves, while Atlanta has odds of +165. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 70% of more than 190 bets for this game have been placed on the Phillies -175.
In Friday’s opener, Roy Halladay, who has been selected to his eighth All-Star game, limited Atlanta (54-37) to two runs and six hits over seven innings in Philadelphia’s 3-2, 10-inning win.
Cliff Lee was even better a day later, yielding a run and three hits while striking out nine over eight innings. The three-time All-Star Lee accounted for his team’s only run with his first career homer, however, and the Phillies ended up losing 4-1 in 11 innings.
Atlanta’s Alex Gonzalez singled home the go-ahead run and Brian McCann followed with a two-run homer to help the Braves pull within 2 1/2 games of NL East-leading Philadelphia (56-34).
“We have to keep close to these guys,” Gonzalez said. “Both teams have great teams. We’re still fighting and we want to keep it close.”
The Phillies, owners of the best record in baseball, are trying to match a franchise record with 57 victories before the All-Star break, set in 1993. If they don’t win the series finale, however, the Braves will be 1 1/2 games out of first place for the first time since May 17.
“They’ve been playing well and are right behind us,” Lee said.
While Atlanta has been held in check by Halladay and Lee, Philadelphia’s offense hasn’t been much better.
Chase Utley and Ryan Howard are a combined 2 for 19 in the first two games of this series, and Philadelphia has left 17 runners on base. Utley’s season-best 11-game hitting streak came to an end Saturday, but he is batting .400 with two homers in 30 at-bats against scheduled starter Derek Lowe (5-6, 4.21 ERA).
Hamels (10-4, 2.40) ranks among the league leaders in wins, ERA and strikeouts (115), and was named to his second All-Star game last week. He has been sensational in his last eight starts, posting a 1.60 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP while yielding two runs or fewer in each outing.
A line drive to the right hand forced Hamels out of his start against Boston on June 30 after four innings, but it didn’t seem to faze him his next time out. Against Florida on Tuesday, the left-hander gave up two runs and eight hits in eight innings of a 14-2 win.
Hamels, 1-1 with a 3.15 ERA in three starts against Atlanta this year, has limited Dan Uggla to a .130 batting average with 14 strikeouts in 46 career at-bats, but the Braves second baseman finally appears to breaking out of his season-long slump.
Uggla touched up Lee for his only run Saturday, hitting a solo homer in the fifth inning. He is batting .389 with three homers and five RBIs in his last five games, and will likely be counted on to carry a bit more of Atlanta’s offense with Chipper Jones (right knee) going on the disabled list Saturday.
Lowe is enduring an up-and-down season, but has been solid in two starts against the Phillies, going 1-1 with a 1.38 ERA. The sinkerballer has a 1.61 ERA in his last four starts versus Philadelphia, and has yielded two runs or fewer in four of five starts at Citizens Bank Park since 2009.
Lowe gave up three runs and five hits in 5 1-3 innings in Tuesday’s 5-3 win over Colorado. The right-hander has won back-to-back starts after going winless in his previous nine.
Want More From TheSpread.com? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!