The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday, setting the stage for a decisive Game 2 on Monday at Truist Park. The story already works against the Braves, who were the best team in baseball during the regular season.
Teams that have won the first game of a best-of-five postseason series in MLB history have won that series more than 70% of the time. The Braves aren’t a normal team, but even then, they’ll certainly want to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole with the series moving to Citizen Banks Park in Philadelphia.
You can see the full postseason schedule by clicking here and here is the playoff round for 2023. Now let’s get to the important stuff for this NLDS.
How to watch Phillies-Braves Game 2
Date: Monday, Oct. 9 | Time: 6:07 p.m. ET
Location: Truist Park (Atlanta, GA)
TV channel: TBS | Live broadcast: TBS app
Starting pitchers: RHP Zack Wheeler (13-6, 3.61) vs. LHP Max Fried (8-1, 2.55)
opportunities: PHI +130 | ATL-155 | O/U: 8.0
Game 2 preview
The Braves, the majors’ most productive team during the regular season, were shut out in Game 1 by shrewd personnel management from Rob Thomson. It was only the third time Altanta had been knocked out this season and the first time it had happened at home. Wheeler hit a good pitch in his Wild Card Series start against the Miami Marlins and has been a force for the Phillies in the postseason since last year. Fried, meanwhile, hasn’t pitched since Sept. 21 due to a bubble that could limit either his effectiveness or his availability in Game 2.
forecast
Despite Wheeler’s presence and Fried’s unpredictability, we suspect the Braves offense will find a way to address their concerns from Game 1. Maybe we just hope this series is successful. Choose: Braves 5, Phillies 3.