The Atlanta Braves are starting to find their offense once again as the unit proves to be one of the more inconsistent in the major leagues. They looked alive against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday as Freddie Freeman helped push the Braves back on top of the National League East. However, the moves comes at a cost as Evan Gattis could be lost for some time.
Atlanta moved in to tie the Washington Nationals for first place in the National League East. Freeman helped the effort as he went 3 for 5 with a home run and four RBIs. The Braves avoided a fifth straight loss to Philadelphia, getting their weekend series off to a good start. Currently the first baseman is hitting .385 when he was hitting .196 in his 12 games against Philadelphia previously. The issue for the Braves could be Gattis who left the game with back spasms. He was 11 for 24 in his last six games against the Phillies.
Ervin Santana gets the start on Saturday. In his last four starts he has gotten exactly four runs of support for the Braves offense. He is putting up quality starts during that time but could be handed his fourth straight loss if Atlanta does not move their bats. Against the Phillies he has a 3.00 ERA with 16 strikeouts over 12 innings.
The Phillies will counter with Roberto Hernandez who is 3-6 with a 4.41 ERA on the season. He is coming off his best game where he allowed just two runs and three hits in six innings against the Marlins. Philadelphia has lost five of their last seven games while Ben Revere continues to carry the offense. He is 6 for 10 with two stolen bases in his last two games. The Phillies will be without Carlos Ruiz who is out with a concussion.
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