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Braves vs. Phillies Preview: Spencer Strider takes the mound as Atlanta returns to Philadelphia

The marathon begins today. For the next six months, the Atlanta Braves will take the field looking to earn a seventh straight NL East title and another World Series championship. After two straight losses in the Division Series, the Braves have spent a lot of time talking about adopting a World Series or bust mentality. What that looks like in the regular season remains to be seen, but the first task at hand is to secure a spot in the postseason.

The Braves will return to Citizens Bank Park Friday where they will begin a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Spencer Strider will make his first career Opening Day start for Atlanta in a marquee pitching matchup against Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler.

Strider was sharp during the spring and experimented with a new curveball to add to his arsenal. He has been dominant against the Phillies in the regular season winning eight of his nine starts while posting a 1.94 FIP and a 2.26 xFIP to go along with 72 strikeouts in 47 ¹⁄₃ innings. He allowed four earned runs and struck out 15 in two Division Series starts, but lost 3-0 in Game 1 and 3-1 in Game 4.

Having spent his entire career in the NL East, Wheeler is no stranger to the Braves. He inked a massive three-year, $126 million extension this offseason to ensure that he will be sticking with the Phillies longterm. Wheeler has a 3.54 FIP and a 3.66 xFIP in 27 career starts against Atlanta. He allowed two earned runs and struck out 10 in 6 ¹⁄₃ innings in Game 2 of the Division Series, which was the only game that the Braves came away with a victory.

The Braves return the same powerful lineup that led the majors in almost all of the major offensive categories. Reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. is back for an encore after putting together one of the best seasons in major league history a year ago. The one new face in the lineup will be outfielder Jarred Kelenic who replaces Eddie Rosario in left. Kelenic came over in a trade from Seattle during the offseason and will platoon in left with veteran Adam Duvall who returned a couple of weeks ago on a one-year deal. Atlanta set their roster for Opening Day Thursday by adding veteran reliever Jesse Chavez to the bullpen.

The Phillies also return a powerful lineup led by Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber. Harper battled some back issues during the spring, but is ready for Opening Day. He will spend his first full season as the club’s first baseman. Philadelphia added veteran Whit Merrifield in the offseason to serve as a utility player. Closer Craig Kimbrel left in free agency to join the Baltimore Orioles, but the Phillies still have a bullpen full of hard throwers including Jose Alvarado who is expected to take over as their new closer.