Two outstanding starting pitchers will take the mound on Sunday when the Atlanta Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies in the rubber game of their three-game series.
The Phillies won the first game 13-0 and the Braves took the second game 6-1 to square the season series at 4-4. Philadelphia remains a half-game ahead of the New York Mets in the National League East. Atlanta improved to six games under .500 and is seven games out of the final wild-card spot.
The starters for the finale will feature Philadelphia left-hander Ranger Suarez (6-2, 2.08 ERA) against Atlanta righty Spencer Strider (3-5, 4.07), a rematch from May 27.
In that game, Suarez got the win after throwing six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. Strider, who was making his second start after returning from a right hamstring strain, took the loss despite allowing only one run on one hit in 4 2/3 innings.
Suarez has been one of the most consistent pitchers in the National League. In 10 starts, he has allowed more than three runs only once. He has posted four scoreless stints and allowed one run in two appearances. He has worked seven-plus innings in six starts, including the last four.
In his last start on Tuesday against the host Houston Astros, Suarez gave up one run on four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.
“You pretty much book six or seven innings every time,” Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said. “He’s just been incredible.”
Suarez has faced the Braves 20 times in his career, 11 of them starts, going 3-4 with a 3.71 ERA in 68 innings.
Strider is on a three-game winning streak. In his last outing on Tuesday against the host New York Mets, he threw five innings and allowed three runs on two hits with four walks and eight strikeouts.
“The struggles we’ve had up to this point and whatever we might encounter the rest of the season is all in preparation for what we’re ultimately trying to accomplish,” Strider said. “It’s going to make us better. We’ve just got to continue to believe that and keep working.”
Strider has made 10 career appearances (nine starts) against Philadelphia, going 8-1 with a 2.05 ERA. He has 87 strikeouts in 57 innings against the Phillies.
Atlanta’s Matt Olson went 2-for-5 with a double on Saturday and extended his league-best and career-high on-base streak to 29 games. He has raised his batting average from .234 to .258 during that span.
The Philadelphia offense, which scored a season-high 13 runs on Friday, relapsed on Saturday and managed just one run on four hits. The Phillies have scored one or fewer runs in four of their previous five games — all losses.
Atlanta recalled right-hander Kevin Herget from Triple-A Gwinnett and sent righty Michael Petersen down. Herget was claimed off waivers from the Mets on May 18 and posted a 3.86 ERA in 10 relief appearances for Gwinnett.
Philadelphia got a fresh arm on the roster by sending righty Alan Rangel, who worked four innings and earned a save on Friday, to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The Phillies recalled righty Daniel Robert, who worked a scoreless inning on Saturday in Atlanta and struck out two.
–Field Level Media
