Braves at Phillies
There is plenty of buzz surrounding the Atlanta Braves' young core of talent, but entering Sunday’s series finale at the Philadelphia Phillies it warrants mentioning that two veterans are helping drive one of baseball’s best offenses. First baseman Freddie Freeman tripled home a run in Saturday’s 4-1 victory and brings a seven-game hitting streak into Sunday, while right fielder Nick Markakis homered and walked three times in extending his hitting streak to six contests.
Atlanta, which started Saturday leading the National League in runs, hits, doubles, batting average and slugging percentage, saw its shaky bullpen walk three hitters in three innings but escape to beat the Phillies for the fifth time in eight matchups this season. Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco finished with two hits, including a solo homer, and is batting .357 with three homers in 12 home games this season. Philadelphia center fielder Odubel Herrera, who homered twice in Friday’s victory in the series opener, extended his streak of reaching base to 28 games and also robbed Freeman of a two-run homer with an outstanding catch in the third inning. As has been the case in the first two games of the series, Sunday’s pitching matchup is a rematch of the final contest of the two previous series with Brandon McCarthy going for the Braves against Vince Velasquez.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, FS South (Atlanta), NBCS Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Brandon McCarthy (3-0, 3.38 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Vince Velasquez (1-3, 4.50)
McCarthy is 2-0 with a 2.53 ERA in his two starts against the Phillies this season, giving up three runs on 11 hits over 10 2/3 innings. The 34-year-old received a no-decision in his last start Tuesday against Cincinnati, surrendering five runs (three earned) with a season-low one strikeout in five innings and two homers allowed. McCarthy has given up four homers in 26 2/3 innings, three coming by left-handed batters.
Velasquez has lost both starts to Atlanta this season, posting a 7.27 ERA and allowing 16 hits in 8 2/3 innings. His other defeat came in his last start Tuesday against Arizona, in which he allowed four runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and two homers allowed. The 25-year-old has held right-handed batters to a .214 average, but left-handers are hitting .311 with three homers and six extra-base hits in 61 at-bats.
WALK-OFFS
1. Philadelphia SS J.P. Crawford left Saturday's game in the fifth with a right elbow strain, two innings after making an awkward throw on an infield single.
2. Atlanta CF Ender Inciarte stole two bases Saturday to give him 12 for the season through 25 games, the most steals before May 1 in franchise history.
3. Philadelphia hitters, which were third in the majors in strikeouts entering Saturday, fanned 11 times in the loss and with 262 strikeouts are averaging 10.1 per game.