Braves and Phillies open decisive four-game series in NL East race
On Friday, September 4, the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves opened a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park that could significantly reshape the NL East and playoff picture, with veteran left-handers Chris Sale and Cristopher Sanchez facing off in the opener.
Division stakes
Atlanta (83-57) entered the series with a four-game lead in the NL East, according to BVM Sports, and a real chance of finishing among the NL's top two seeds, which would earn a bye to the Division Series. Philadelphia (79-61) sits second in the division; BVM Sports notes the Phillies had won the NL East in recent seasons but currently trail.
Series opener
Game one was played Friday at roughly 6:40 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. The Phillies started Cristopher Sanchez (16-4, 2.52 ERA per The Athletic), while the Braves countered with Chris Sale (13-9, 2.06 ERA). In a segment aired via Yahoo Sports/NBC Sports Philadelphia, analysts Michael Barkann and Ruben Amaro Jr. highlighted both pitchers' recent form: Sale had just thrown an 11-strikeout shutout against the Dodgers, while Sanchez, who according to the segment carries an 11-1 record and 1.68 ERA at home this season, had recently pitched seven scoreless innings against the Angels. Amaro noted that the 37-year-old Sale had already dominated the Phillies in earlier starts this year, while Sanchez's edge lies in an improved fastball against right-handed hitters combined with his changeup.
Players to watch
The New York Times (via The Athletic) notes Phillies' Luis Arraez ranks second in the league with a .315 batting average, while Bryce Harper has hit 27 home runs and driven in 80 runs this season; per Yahoo Sports, Harper entered the series on a 35-game on-base streak. For Atlanta, Matt Olson has 37 home runs, third-most in MLB, and Michael Harris II is batting .295, ninth-best in the league.
Odds
Ahead of the game, the Phillies were listed as slight favorites (-118 moneyline) with the Braves as underdogs (-102); the total was set around 6.5 runs, according to The Athletic.
Amaro said the Phillies would need to win at least two of the four games to stay within striking distance of Atlanta, while taking three or four could meaningfully shift the division race.
