Philadelphia Phillies are Atlanta Braves Achilles Heel
By Jeff Schafer
There is Always That One Team…
Year in and year out, each team in Major League Baseball has one team that no matter what they do, they just can’t seem to win a game. Most of the time, the team that it is almost impossible to win against, is the team that you know you should be beating night in and night out.
For the Atlanta Braves in 2017, the team they know they should consistently be beating is the worse team in baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies. Yet, the Braves have not managed to have much success at all against the Phillies this year. In fact, the poor play the Braves have had against the Phillies, could be the main reason the Braves are not in the postseason hunt.
You Would Think The Braves Would Win
Entering today, the Braves have a record of 59-72, sitting in third place in the National League East. The Phillies on the other hand have a 49-83 record, sitting in last in not only the National League East, but are the worst team in baseball.
However, against the Phillies, the Braves have only won four times this year, while losing twelve times, with three home games left against the Phillies. Not only that, but the Braves have been outscored by the Phillies, 62-69.
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So you figure, the Braves currently are sitting thirteen games under .500. If they would have won even half of those twelve games they lost to the worst team in baseball, they would be one game under .500. What a difference!
How are the Braves losing all these games to the Phillies? It does not make sense! For the year, the Braves rank fourth out of fifteen teams in the National League in hits with 1,195. The Phillies rank eleventh with 1,120. In runs, the Braves are close to the bottom at eleventh with 600, but the Phillies are lower in thirteenth with 539. Team batting average? The Braves are fourth with an average of .264, while the Phillies are tenth with an average of .249.
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So it seems statistically from the plate the Braves would have the advantage, so what is the real reason? It must just be the Phillies are that team that are the Braves Achilles Heel in 2017.