The Philadelphia Phillies (23-27, 19-31 RL, 22-26-3 O/U) meet with the Atlanta Braves (31-19, 21-29 RL, 30-20 O/U) in the third of a four-game divisional showdown on Saturday evening. The Phillies will have Zack Wheeler on the hill. The Braves reply with veteran Charlie Morton. The Braves recorded an 8-5 win on Thursday.
Zack Wheeler will take the mound in this one. Wheeler had more trouble in his previous start, allowing four runs (three earned) in six innings against the Diamondbacks, and was hit with the loss. The veteran ace hasn’t been as dominant as last season, recording a 4.44 ERA this month and a 4.11 ERA, and a 1.23 WHIP accompanied by a 3-4 record in 57 innings pitched on the season. Wheeler posted a sharp 2.70 ERA in three meetings against the Braves last season and has accrued a 3.16 ERA and a 10-7 record in 24 career meetings.
Philly is stumbling, dropping three out of their last four series including a series home loss against the Diamondbacks prior to this series. They have now lost seven out of their last ten bouts and are well behind the Braves atop the division. Philly is now on the road for 10 games. They were swept by the Giants in their previous road series.
Bryce hears ur boos #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/neavG5GCzr
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 26, 2023
Nick Castellanos struggled to solve the Braves last season, collecting only seven RBIs and a .602 OPS but had two hits in the series opener. The veteran slugger is having a decent season, accumulating 26 RBIs and a .796 OPS. He is 1 for 13 with one RBI in his career against Morton.
The Phillies are scoring an average of 4.30 runs per game, ranking them 19th. The pitching has been a weakness, reporting a 4.62 team ERA, pegging them 23rd.