Philadelphia @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 19, 2015 ) Philadelphia 1, Atlanta 2

Very few things have turned out right for the Atlanta Braves since the All-Star break, but a key cornerstone of the team’s future appears to have figured out things in the season’s second half. Julio Teheran aims to continue his rebound from a difficult first four months Sunday as the Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies in the finale of a three-game series matching baseball’s two worst teams.

Teheran, a 14-game winner each of the past two years, reached the end of July with six wins and a 4.71 ERA but is 4-1 since, including a pair of victories over the Phillies. The Braves scored twice in the eighth inning of Saturday’s 2-1 victory to notch consecutive wins for the first time since Aug. 6-8. Philadelphia’s offense is struggling without several injured starters, including Ryan Howard, Cesar Hernandez and Maikel Franco. The Phillies scored four runs total in their past four games and two runs or fewer nine times in the past 14 contests.

TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, FSN South (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Aaron Nola (6-2, 4.11 ERA) vs. Braves RH Julio Teheran (10-7, 4.34)

Nola looks for his third victory in three starts against the Braves, having held Atlanta to a combined two runs on 11 hits in 12 innings in victories Aug. 1 and Sept. 8. The rookie has won six of seven decisions since losing his major-league debut to Tampa Bay on July 21, but has given up six runs on nine hits in two of his three September outings. Nola took a no-decision against the Nationals on Monday, striking out eight in five innings but allowing a half-dozen runs.

Teheran gave up two runs on eight hits in a victory Aug. 2 at Philadelphia to post his first road victory since opening day. He has posted a 3.54 ERA in his past nine starts with eight homers allowed in 56 innings after giving up 18 blasts in his first 124 1/3 innings through the end of July. Teheran has been outstanding at home, going 7-2 with a 3.23 ERA and a .213 opponents batting average in 15 starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Philadelphia SS Andres Blanco recorded one of the Phillies' three hits Saturday and is batting .310 in his past 39 games to raise his average to .293.

2. Atlanta 1B Freddie Freeman, who doubled home two runs in the eighth on Saturday, is hitting .368 with runners in scoring position (fifth in the NL).

3. Philadelphia has lost 13 of its past 15 games against NL East opponents and is 23-40 on the season against division foes.

PREDICTION: Phillies 3, Braves 1