There’s nothing ordinary about a Tuesday when the Braves come to town. Not when Spencer Strider is on the mound. Not when the Phillies are playing their best baseball of the season.
The matchup brings a little bit of everything: a division rivalry that never really cools, a Phillies team that’s rolling behind Ranger Suárez and a deep lineup, and a Braves squad looking to shake off inconsistency and remind the division who’s run it for most of the past decade. There’s no October on the calendar, but the energy tonight won’t feel far off.
Let’s set the scene: The Braves? They’ve lost four of five and are wobbling. Spencer Strider? He’s still trying to find his rhythm — not to mention his hamstring and his command. The Phillies? All they’ve done is build a 1.5-game cushion atop the NL East while opening an 8.5-game gulf between themselves and these same Braves. Oh yeah, they've also won 10 out of 12.
But this isn’t about standings in May. This is about a moment — a series that feels like a measuring stick, even if it’s too early to reach for one.
The Return of Spencer Strider … Sort of
There was a time, not long ago, when Spencer Strider versus the Phillies would’ve been must-see theater. A 99-mph fastball. A wipeout slider. A snarling mound presence that made every pitch feel personal.
But this version of Strider? He's still warming up the spotlight.
After missing over a year with elbow surgery, then tweaking a hamstring in his comeback attempt, Strider finally made his second start of 2025 last week — a bumpy, 75-pitch outing against the Nationals in which he allowed four runs and six hits in just 4 1/3 innings. He hit two batters. Walked another. Struck out only three.
And now, Strider finds himself staring at the lineup with the sixth-best OPS (.747) in baseball, the seventh-most runs scored (260), and a taste for walks (197 — also seventh in MLB). That's not exactly easing back into action.
But this isn’t about standings in May. This is about a moment — a series that feels like a measuring stick, even if it’s too early to reach for one.
Pitching Matchups
Tuesday: LHP Ranger Suarez (3-0, 3.70) vs. RHP Spencer Strider (0-2, 5.79)
Wednesday: RHP Zack Wheeler (6-1, 2.42) vs. RHP AJ Smith-Shawver (3-2, 3.67)
Thursday: LHP Cristopher Sanchez (4-1, 3.17) vs. LHP Chris Sale (2-3, 3.36)
The Return of Spencer Strider … Sort of
There was a time, not long ago, when Spencer Strider versus the Phillies would’ve been must-see theater. A 99-mph fastball. A wipeout slider. A snarling mound presence that made every pitch feel personal.
But this version of Strider? He's still warming up the spotlight.
After missing over a year with elbow surgery, then tweaking a hamstring in his comeback attempt, Strider finally made his second start of 2025 last week — a bumpy, 75-pitch outing against the Nationals in which he allowed four runs and six hits in just 4 1/3 innings. He hit two batters. Walked another. Struck out only three.
And now, Strider finds himself staring at the lineup with the sixth-best OPS (.747) in baseball, the seventh-most runs scored (260), and a taste for walks (197 — also seventh in MLB). That's not exactly easing back into action.
Suarez Shoving … Quietly
If Strider’s story is about finding his way, Ranger Suarez’s is about finding his groove.
The left-hander has flown under the radar for most of his career — largely because he doesn’t throw 100 or strut after punchouts. But what he does do is carve lineups with precision and efficiency. And lately? He’s been just about perfect.
Since a rocky return from a back issue, Suarez has thrown 20 2/3 innings in his last three starts — allowing just three runs combined. Last time out? Six and two-thirds shutout innings against the Rockies, with a season-high 99 pitches and just three hits allowed. His ERA has quietly dipped to 3.70, and he’s finally looking like the guy the Phillies will need in October — assuming this ride keeps going.
The left-hander has flown under the radar for most of his career — largely because he doesn’t throw 100 or strut after punchouts. But what he does do is carve lineups with precision and efficiency. And lately? He’s been just about perfect.
Since a rocky return from a back issue, Suarez has thrown 20 2/3 innings in his last three starts — allowing just three runs combined. Last time out? Six and two-thirds shutout innings against the Rockies, with a season-high 99 pitches and just three hits allowed. His ERA has quietly dipped to 3.70, and he’s finally looking like the guy the Phillies will need in October — assuming this ride keeps going.
A Tale of Two Teams
The Braves took two of three from the Phillies back in early April, and yes, that still matters. It always does in this rivalry.
But that was a different Phillies team. That team was still figuring things out. This one? This one is clicking.
Trea Turner just hit a go-ahead bomb in the eighth inning Sunday. Bryce Harper looks locked in. Nick Castellanos has remembered how to hit again. And J.T. Realmuto is doing, well, J.T. Realmuto things.
Even with Sunday’s 5-4 hiccup against Oakland, the Phillies have been playing with a swagger that’s more 2022 October than April experiment. They’re beating teams they should beat. And they’re doing it without always needing a dramatic ninth.
The Braves? Ronald Acuña Jr. is back and looks like himself. He homered in each of his first two games before doubling and walking in Sunday's loss to the Padres. But the supporting cast has looked human. Too human. The pitching staff? A little beat up. The bats? A little inconsistent.
But as Phillies fans know all too well — you never look past Atlanta. You don’t get comfortable. You don’t exhale.
The Braves took two of three from the Phillies back in early April, and yes, that still matters. It always does in this rivalry.
But that was a different Phillies team. That team was still figuring things out. This one? This one is clicking.
Trea Turner just hit a go-ahead bomb in the eighth inning Sunday. Bryce Harper looks locked in. Nick Castellanos has remembered how to hit again. And J.T. Realmuto is doing, well, J.T. Realmuto things.
Even with Sunday’s 5-4 hiccup against Oakland, the Phillies have been playing with a swagger that’s more 2022 October than April experiment. They’re beating teams they should beat. And they’re doing it without always needing a dramatic ninth.
The Braves? Ronald Acuña Jr. is back and looks like himself. He homered in each of his first two games before doubling and walking in Sunday's loss to the Padres. But the supporting cast has looked human. Too human. The pitching staff? A little beat up. The bats? A little inconsistent.
But as Phillies fans know all too well — you never look past Atlanta. You don’t get comfortable. You don’t exhale.
