Braves Look to Take Game Two Against Phillies After Winning Game One Last Night

The Atlanta Braves extended their winning streak to seven games on Tuesday Night as they won their series opener against the Phillies 4-2. Spencer Strider got the win going six innings allowing one run and fanning nine batters. He improved his record to 8-2 on the season and improved his season strikeout total to an MLB best 136.

The game was scoreless through four until Phillies’ right fielder Nick Castellanos was able to capitalize on an earlier Strider walk with a RBI single which drove in left fielder Kyle Schwarber. After that it was all Braves starting off with a solo homer by Austin Riley in the top of the sixth. This marked Riley’s sixteenth career homerun against the Phillies, which tied his career record for number of most homers he has hit against a single team (Mets).

The Braves picked up two more in the seventh courtesy of an Acuna RBI single and Albies RBI groundout, and another in eighth by way of a Matt Olson solo home run. That marked Olson’s twenty-first long ball of the season which is the most on the Braves and third most in the MLB.

The Phillies would attempt to rally late scoring a run in the ninth but would ultimately fall short as Braves closer Raisel Iglesias picked up his tenth save of the season.

The Bravos will look to take the series win and add to their win streak tonight as they are set to face struggling Philadelphia ace Aaron Nola. Nola has a 6-5 record on the season and carries a 4.66 ERA. Nola has also faced the Braves once before this season, giving up five earned runs in an 8-5 Phillies loss on May 25 in Atlanta.

Taking the mound for Atlanta will be rookie AJ Smith-Shawver who picked up his first career win last Thursday against the Colorado Rockies. Smith-Shawver was thrown into the rotation due to injuries and has recorded a 2.03 ERA and 0.98 WHIP through two starts thus far.

If the Braves can pick up the win tonight it will improve their win streak to a season best eight games and mark their NL leading forty-eighth win on the year. First pitch is slated for 6:40 PM EST weather permitting.