Atlanta @ Philadelphia Preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 31, 2016 ) Philadelphia 1, Atlanta 2

The Atlanta Braves open a three-game series at the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, and with one month remaining in the season both teams will continue looking for a strong finish while focusing on 2017. The bottom two squads in the National League East standings, fourth-place Philadelphia finished August at 12-14 and is 25-28 since July 1, while the last-place Braves are 18-17 since July 26.

Braves’ first baseman Freddie Freeman, who hit .313 with nine homers and a 1.147 OPS in August, started September with a homer, two runs scored and three RBIs in Thursday’s 9-6 victory of San Diego. Atlanta’s offense is clicking, scoring 24 runs in a three-game sweep of the Padres and averaging 6.1 runs and 9.9 hits in its past 13 contests. The Phillies offense is struggling, averaging a major-league worst 3.7 runs per contest and recording just nine hits in a three-game sweep at Washington – tying a franchise record with three consecutive games of four hits or less. Ryan Howard, who has owned the Braves in his career (51 homers all-time) has 20 homers in a part-time role this season.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN South (Atlanta), CSN Philadelphia

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Joel De La Cruz (0-7, 4.66 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Jeremy Hellickson (10-8, 3.80)

De La Cruz has done some of his best work against the Phillies during an otherwise rocky rookie season in which he still seeks his first major-league victory. The 27-year-old has posted a 3.27 ERA in three appearances (two starts) against Philadelphia, but is 0-6 in eight starts overall with 22 earned runs and 14 walks allowed in 41 innings. He lost four of his five August starts, posting a 5.47 ERA in giving up four runs or more three times.

The Phillies looked to move the 29-year-old Hellickson but were unable to find a trade partner, so now the seven-year veteran looks to complete his bounce-back season after a subpar 2014-15. He is three victories shy of matching his career high (2011) while posting his lowest ERA since 2012, and needs five strikeouts to set a career high (135, 2013). Hellickson gave up five runs in a loss to the Mets on Saturday, but is 4-1 with a 3.19 ERA in his past seven starts and is 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in two outings against Atlanta this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Phillies SS Freddy Galvis hit his 15th homer Wednesday, becoming only the third Philadelphia shortstop (Jimmy Rollins six times, Granny Hamner once) to record 20-plus doubles and 15-plus homers in a season.

2. Atlanta CF Ender Inciarte extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a pair of hits Thursday, raising his average to .287.

3. Philadelphia closer Jeanmar Gomez has 34 saves, one away from becoming the seventh pitcher in franchise history to record 35 or more in a season.

PREDICTION: Phillies 5, Braves 4