The Sports Idiot

When the Phillies and Braves kicked off their series this week in Atlanta, one of the talking points for the Philadelphia broadcast crew was that Turner Field was now “Friendly Field” in regards to the Phillies, who swept all nine games in Atlanta last season. In 2007, the Phillies took five of nine in Atlanta. In 2006, the Phillies won six of their meetings in the Dirty South. So how have the Bravos fared in the North? In 2006 the Braves took four of five in the city of Brotherly Love. 2007 saw the Braves come out on top five times in Philly, while in 2008 they won four times. So far in 2009, the Phillies have lost four of six games in Citizens Bank Park, and now the first three in Atlanta.

So has the tide turned back in favor of the Braves in this NL East rivalry? It is hard to say at this point. Let’s play a quick game of “who would you take” with the Braves and Phillies.

Starting rotation goes to the Braves easily. All five starters have ERAs under 4.50, with two players (Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson, ) sitting below 3.00. Compare that to the Phillies, whose starting rotation is a patchwork at best right now. Current ace, Cole Hamels, is sporting a 4.98 ERA, and the staff leader is J.A. Happ at an even 3.00. Happ, mind you, started out in the bully, and is only in the rotation because Brett Myers in on the Prior List with a bum hip. Jamie Moyer, who recently joined the 250 win club, is sitting at 6.05 while Joe Blanton is at 5.08. The fifth starting spot is in limbo right now, with Rodrigo Lopez being called up to make tonight’s start against the Mets.

Let us now turn our attention to the bullpens. The edge once more goes to the Bravos. Why? Simple. Hand the ball to Mike Gonzalez or Rafael Soriano in the eigth inning and it is pretty much lights out this season. The Braves lead the Majors in winning percentage when entering the eigth with a lead (stat thrown up on the TV the other night, I have no clue where to find it online and would love some help with that), and are something like 29 – 1 when doing so. The Phillies? Not so much. Brad Lidge has blown six saves on his own so far, and Ryan Madson has not fared well since being thrown into the closer role and then moved back into the setup role.

Where the Phillies have a clear advantage is in the batter’s box. The Braves are absolutely terrible at the plate, Brian McCann excluded of course. I could go position by position here, but then this would not be a quick game of “who would you take”. The Phillies plated 392 runners this season, while the Braves have only scored 324 runs. Homers? Try a 107 – 61 edge in favor of the Phillies. Granted, they do play in Citizen’s Bank Park compared to the Braves in Turner, but we are talking a 46 homer tilt here. Blame it on the park if you choose, but here at The Sports Idiot we chalk it up to superior players on offense. Players like Raul Ibanez, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jayson Werth, all of whom are in double digits in this category, hold a clear advantage over the leading Braves power hitters. The Braves do not have a single player in double digits, by the way.

So in the end, who do you take? The Braves of the Phillies? If the Braves can find a way to add a power hitting right fielder to the mix, as well as a power hitting one bagger, then they might be able to make a run at the NL East this year. If the Phillies can find a way to lock down their pitching staff by adding an ace or a two, and the bully managed to pull it’s collective head out of it’s ass, then the Phillies are a clear favorite. Right now, I do not want to put my eggs in either basket and will call the Florida Marlins’ the best team in the NL East.