In last year's NLDS, the Phillies went into Atlanta and took Game 1 en route to winning the series in four games. Braves fans may be feeling a bit of deja vu after the Phillies won Game 1, 3-0, on Saturday.
Zack Wheeler, who also started Game 2 in last year's series, will get the ball today. He will be opposed by Max Fried, which is good news for Trea Turner.
Ronald Acuña Jr. will look to help the Braves even the series heading back to Philadelphia.
Phillies vs. Braves Game 2 Props
Ranger Suárez allowed just one hit and one walk in 3 2/3 innings in Game 1. Manager Rob Thomson made a somewhat surprising decision to pull him early despite how well he was pitching. Jeff Hoffman made the move look brilliant after he struck out Michael Harris II to end a threat.
However, in what could be a long series, you would think that Thomson will not want to overextend his bullpen.
That is why I am backing his ace to give him some length today. Zack Wheeler is coming off a gem against the Marlins last Tuesday night, tossing 6 2/3 innings, scattering five hits, allowing one run and punching out eight. With Game 2 being on Monday, Wheeler should be fresh, as he will be making this start on five days' rest.
Wheeler has gone five innings in 30 of 33 starts this season. He has also pitched five innings in seven consecutive starts against the Braves. That includes when he allowed six earned runs against them in September and three earned runs in last year's series.
Wheeler tossed six innings in Game 2 of last year's NLDS. Today, we only need five from him, so this line is a bit juiced. However, I would feel comfortable taking this line at 15.5 or 16.5 as well.
Pick: Zach Wheeler Over 14.5 Outs Recorded (-161 at Caesars)
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Trea Turner has begun his Phillies postseason career with hits in three straight games and is hitting .455 thus far this postseason. Dating back to the regular season, he is on a seven-game hitting streak. He has hit this line in four of those games, averaging 2.3 total bases in that span. That means Turner will bring a hot bat to a matchup in which he has had a lot of success.
Turner is 14-for-35 (.400) against Max Fried with two doubles, a home run and a 1.004 OPS. On Sept. 12, we backed Turner for two total bases against Fried. He went 1-for-3 with a single off the left-hander before adding a home run off Raisel Iglesias in the ninth inning and ultimately finished the day 3-for-5 in an extra-innings game.
If you want to double dip on Turner, you can take him to hit a home run at +500 on DraftKings or to record four total bases at +350 on FanDuel. Turner should have at least four plate appearances in this game and possibly five, depending on how well Fried pitches.
I'll back him for two bases here, whether that comes with a multi-hit game or an extra base hit.
Pick: Trea Turner Over 1.5 Total Bases (+120 at BetRivers)
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After having the best offense in baseball during the regular season, manger Brian Snitker decided to switch his lineup up in Game 1. One thing that did not change is Ronald Acuña Jr. in the leadoff spot. Acuña went o-for-3 with a walk in Game 1 and will look to get back on track tonight.
Acuña is 12-for-46 (.261) against Wheeler in his career. However, eight of those hits — four doubles and four home runs — have gone for extra bases. He also went 1-for-2 with a single against Wheeler in Game 2 last postseason.
Acuña has hit this line in 18 of his last 30 games, which is slightly above his 57% rate for the season. He is also at 57% (8-for-14) this season against the Phillies, a division rival whom he has seen them plenty.
Like Turner, he should have four to five opportunities to hit this line batting at the top of the lineup. The Braves need a big game from their MVP to even the series, and I will be backing Acuña here.
Pick: Ronald Acuña Jr. Over 1.5 Total Bases (-115 at FanDuel)
