The Atlanta Braves looks to close off the Philadelphia Phillies Sunday night at Citizen's Bank Park. Not only are the Braves going for the win, they will be looking to capture their 10th straight victory and their third straight series sweep. Can Cliff Lee and the Phillies put an end to the red hot Bravos? Check out the live stream available for ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball game.
A 10-4 Lee will pitch for the hosts. The Phillies' ace has struggled as of late, allowing at least four earned runs in three consecutive starts. He is looking to bounce back from a tough start against the New York Mets last Sunday as the ace was hit hard. He went six innings, surrendering five earned runs on seven hits and a walk.
Lee faced these Braves about a month ago, earning the victory after pitching four-run ball over 6.1 innings. He will be opposed Braves rookie and another lefty, Alex Wood. The Braves' southpaw will look to reach .500 in his first-ever start against the Phillies. He's faced the Phillies before, totaling 1.2 innings, allowing one earned run on two hits and a strikeout. Wood will be looking to build on his last outing where he went seven innings, giving up three earned runs on seven hits and seven strikeouts against the Colorado Rockies. Honestly, as long as Wood allowed less than eight runs, he was bound to win as the Braves' bats were on fire during a four-game series that saw them total 40 runs.
The Braves have given themselves plenty of breathing room in the N.L. East as they're the only team with a winning record. Their 66-45 record is tied third best in baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. Only the surprising Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox have better records in baseball. The Braves' tough pitching, lights out bullpen and timely hitting are clicking at a tune where the rest of the division is struggling to find their stride. Chris Johnson leads the NL with a .344 batting average, while Jason Heyward and Justin Upton appear to have gotten their grooves back.
Click here for the free online live stream of the Braves vs. Phillies.