It is the last series of June and another must-win for the Braves.
The Atlanta Braves suffered a disappointing split their four-game series against the division-leading New York Mets and now head home to take on the Philadelphia Phillies who sit only a half-game in back of the Mets and 9.5 games in front of the Braves in the NL East.
The Braves still carry the fifth worst record in the National League but had gained ground in the division, closing the gap to single-digits, before dropping the final two games of the Mets four-game affair. Additionally, Atlanta still has five teams ahead of them for the final Wild Card spot, which is not ideal as July is mere days away.
The refrain will be the same for Atlanta from now through the end of the season: win the series, or else.
This upcoming series against the Phillies may be the last one the Braves play without outfielder Jurickson Profar who should return on July 2 against the Los Angeles Angels, baring a Braves rain-out, after his early-season 80-game suspension for PEDs. That won’t help Atlanta against the Phillies, but is notable none-the-less.
Atlanta has Spencer Schwellenbach and Spencer Strider slated to make starts against the Phillies, providing some optimism for the Braves combined with fact that Atlanta and Philadelphia have split the first six games of their head-to-head match-ups so far this season.
Straws? Grasping? Maybe.
Can the Braves make-up ground against the “Fightin’s” this weekend? Or will their disastrous bottom-of-the-line-up offensive continue to provide little-to-no positive value?
It may not be the most exciting reason to watch, but all eyes will be on Atlanta, because if the bottom falls out between now and the All-Star break, there could changes in store by the end of the month.
Here are the start times for each of this weekend’s games against the Phillies.
- Friday, June 27 – 7:15 PM EDT
- Saturday, June 28 – 7:15 PM EDT
- Sunday, June 29 – 1:35 PM EDT
Broadcast options for these games include:
Friday: FanDuel Sports Network South, FanDuel Sports Network Southeast, Gray TV
Saturday: FOX
Sunday: FanDuel Sports Network South, FanDuel Sports Network Southeast
The Braves games can be heard on the Braves Radio Network. Games are also available to stream on MLB.tv (blackout restrictions apply).