Phillies at Braves
In a season where so much has gone wrong for the Braves, Atlanta enters Thursday’s home contest with Philadelphia following a night where plenty actually went right. The Braves got three hits from Freddie Freeman and eight innings of two-hit ball from starter Williams Perez to win just their second home game of the season pn Wednesday, a 5-1 victory, and can win their first series since sweeping the Marlins April 15-17 with a victory Thursday.
Since starting his season 2-for-25, Freeman is batting .348 with five homers in his past 23 games, and along with Perez – promoted from Triple-A Gwinnett after Atlanta traded scheduled starter Jhoulys Chacin to Anaheim earlier Wednesday – helped the Braves snap a five-game losing streak and an 11-game home skid. The Phillies can win their fifth series in six tries with a victory in the series finale, which would mark the first such streak since late in 2014. Philadelphia finished with just four hits in Wednesday’s loss, only the second time since April 16 the Phillies have been held to four hits or less. Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera hit a ninth-inning single after not reaching base in his first three at-bats Wednesday; Herrera has reached base safely in 30 of his 31 games this season.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, FSN Southeast (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Vince Velasquez (4-1, 2.17 ERA) vs. Braves RH Aaron Blair (0-2, 3.31)
Velasquez grabbed plenty of attention with his 16-strikeout performance April 14 against San Diego, but the 23-year-old has been pretty good in most of his six starts to open 2016. He got a no-decision Saturday at Miami after allowing four runs on seven hits in six innings, after giving up three runs or less in four of his first five starts. Acquired from Houston in the Ken Giles trade last offseason, Velasquez has struck out 102 in his first 93 major-league innings, dating back to 19 appearances with the Astros last season.
Blair struggled with his control in a 7-2 loss Saturday against Arizona, walking four in five innings, but gave up only three runs (two earned) in his third major-league start. The 23-year-old has impressed Atlanta since being summoned from the minor leagues, holding the powerful Cubs to two hits and one run in six innings in his second start after losing to the Mets in his debut April 24. The Braves have scored only five runs in Blair’s first three starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Philadelphia 1B Ryan Howard hit his 51st career homer against the Braves in the fifth inning Wednesday, breaking up Perez's perfect game.
2. Atlanta starting pitchers have thrown seven innings or more in the past three games.
3. The Phillies bullpen has surrendered 14 earned runs in the past 44 2/3 innings since April 26 (15 games).