MLB Odds: Nola vs. Fried, Terrific Pitching Matchup

The Philadelphia Phillies can all but wrap up the 2024 NL East title early this week by winning a series in Atlanta, which was just dealt another major injury blow.

Philadelphia Phillies -101

Kyle Schwarber

Currently, Schwarber is 9th in MLB history for most home runs through the first three seasons with any club. Next up for Schwarber would be Seattle’s Nelson Cruz, who hit 126 home runs in his first three seasons with the Mariners from 2015-17.

Aaron Nola on the Hill

It’s righty Nola (11-6, 3.45 ERA) on the mound.

Nola had to settle for his 16th quality start of the season when Carlos Estevez blew the save in the ninth, however. It was not a dominant effort for Nola despite the shutout. He allowed six hard-hit balls while posting a mediocre 26 percent CSW. He didn’t get as many chases out of the zone on his curveball as usual, and he couldn’t command his change up at all.

Nola has gone six straight starts without getting a win personally.

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Updated Odds provided by MyBookie Sportsbook

Atlanta Braves -121

As a club, Atlanta leads all the baseball with an average exit velocity of 90.2 miles per hour. But the Braves’ Marcell Ozuna, having a career year, has an outside shot as he leads the NL in average and RBI but is second to Shohei Ohtani in homers – that’s the title Ozuna probably will not win. Ozuna came close in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, leading the NL in homers (18) and RBI (56) but finishing third in average (.338).

Spencer Strider

The Braves already have lost preseason NL Cy Young favorite Strider to a season-ending injury, as well as reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr to the same. All-Star second baseman Ozzie Albies has been out since July 21 with a fractured wrist and will not return for likely a couple of weeks.

Austin Riley

And now excellent third baseman Riley might be done for the regular season. He was hit by a pitch on Sunday and on Monday was diagnosed with a fractured hand. With just under six weeks remaining on the regular season schedule, it could very well prove to be a season-ending injury for the two-time All-Star.

Riley has hit .256 with 19 homers and a .783 OPS overall. He missed two weeks in May with an oblique strain and didn’t really get going until the middle of June. Riley hit .292 with 16 homers and a .942 OPS over his past 57 regular-season games. This injury ended his bid for a fourth straight 30-homer season. Atlanta didn’t really have an internal replacement, so it signed former Tigers’ infielder Gio Urshela. The 32-year-old was released by Detroit on Sunday after hitting .243 with five homers and a .619 OPS over 92 games this season. He missed a month after suffering a hamstring strain on April 20.

Max Fried on the Hill

It’s lefty Fried, who has spent a fair amount of time on the IL himself this year, on the mound Wednesday. He did manage his longest outing over his three starts since returning from the IL on Aug. 4, and this was the first time he’s given up fewer than four earned runs during that span. It’s unclear if the forearm issue that landed him on the injured list is still bothering him, but Fried has a 7.90 ERA over the three starts since his activation.

Fried is 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA in two starts this year vs. the Phillies. He last faced them on July 5 in Atlanta and took the loss, allowing five runs and 11 hits over six innings. Trea Turner hit a pair of two-run homers off him.

Max Fried’s stats against the Phillies (since 2022):

9 G | 42.0 IP | 54 H | 17 BB | 24 ER | 41 K | 5.14 ERA | 1.69 WHIPpic.twitter.com/eJAjhvTkdn
— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) August 21, 2024

Phillies at Braves Info

Where: Truist Park
Pitchers (away/home): Aaron Nola/Max Fried
TV: MLB Extra Innings
Stream/game day audio: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/