Well, last night didn’t go to plan. The Philadelphia Phillies were spanked by Strider and the Braves in a 13-1 loss. The Braves now have a 63-41 record, while the trailing Phils have sit at 55-48. Splitting this two-game series would be optimal if they are to somehow surpass Atlanta in the standings, but the focus at this point surely has to be the wildcard spot…a target that has become significantly more achievable after last night.
Trade Deadline Chaos
While the team may have stunk on the field, the front office thrived away from it. Headlining the flurry of trade deadline acquisitions was Noah Syndergaard. Thor will replace the injured Zach Eflin and has a 3.83 ERA after missing nearly two years with a Tommy John injury.
Secondly, the Phils got some defensive help in centerfield in the way of Brandon Marsh, who was acquired in exchange for their best offensive prospect, Logan O’Hoppe.
The Phillies also brought David Robertson home following his resurgence in Chicago, before DFAíng Odubel Herrera and Jeurys Familia.
It’s clear that the aim is to push for the playoffs and to maximise the window the team has forced open. It’s fair to wonder if such a strong deadline will spark a jolt of momentum into the team ahead of this afternoon’s fixture.
Pitching matchup
Charlie Morton (5-5, 4.34 ERA) vs Zack Wheeler (9-5, 2.77 ERA)
Charlie Morton is no slouch, but on Wheelsday, he may as well be. This is a clear winning spot for the Phils. He hasn’t allowed more than 3 runs since the June 4th outing against the Angels, and while the Braves
Betting preview
The Phillies are still underdogs here, making the appeal to bet behind them an exciting one. Atlanta’s offense is superior but all Wheeler needs to do is keep them in check and hope that the Phils can heat up. I’d be willing to get behind this, or at the very least, the +1.5 line to give that cushion again.
Photo Credit: Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP
