Braves and Phillies probables

With a Braves win and a Phillies loss Wednesday, Atlanta’s lead in the NL East is back up to 4.0 games. None of that really matters, though, as the two sides travel to Philadelphia for a four-game series that will ultimately decide just how sweaty the final month is going to be for both fan bases.

Here’s how they’ll line up their pitching at Citizens Bank Park.

Braves-Phillies Probables

Friday: Chris Sale vs. Cristopher Sanchez
Saturday: Martin Perez vs. Zack Wheeler
Sunday: Tyler Mahle vs. Aaron Nola
Monday: Bryce Elder vs. Jesus Luzardo

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The Braves won’t be catching any breaks against a Philadelphia team that gets to line up its four best starters over this series, and it begins with a battle between two guys right in the thick of the Cy Young race.

The last time we saw Chris Sale toe the rubber, he struck out 11 in a complete-game shutout against the Dodgers. The Braves could need a similar performance Friday if they’re going to start the series on the right foot.

Saturday night features two veterans who couldn’t be more polar opposite. Zack Wheeler has been one of the most consistently great starting pitchers of the last decade — a 36-year-old still striking out nearly 11 batters per nine innings.

Perez isn’t going to do that, but he’s actually the one with the better ERA this season, 3.05 compared to 3.31. That’s remarkable considering the Braves designated him for assignment earlier in the year and every team passed on him, which is the only reason he found himself back in Atlanta. Without that chain of events, it’s probably not the Braves entering this series with a 4.0-game lead.

Sunday’s matchup is between two guys who are mirror images of each other right now. Tyler Mahle really struggled in San Francisco, but since the move to Atlanta he owns a 1.48 ERA over five starts. Nola wasn’t traded, but he was abysmal this year until recently — he’s allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his last five starts, recording a 2.25 ERA.

Monday’s showdown is the biggest mismatch of them all. Bryce Elder has done a nice job showing up every five days and giving the Braves a reasonable chance to win, but he can’t hold a candle to Jesus Luzardo, who’s among the filthiest left-handers in the sport and having a career year — a 3.02 ERA with 11.1 strikeouts per nine.

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(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)