SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (Interstat) — The Philadelphia Phillies will visit the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday for Game 2 of their playoff series at Truist Park. Atlanta won the series opener 5-3 and will try to take control of the matchup before the series shifts.

Philadelphia is 90-76. Atlanta is 97-69. The Phillies are expected to start Cristopher Sánchez, who is 18-7. The Braves are expected to counter with Tyler Mahle, who is 7-10. The forecast at game time calls for 82 degrees.

Jesús Luzardo is a player to watch for Philadelphia. He recently pitched five innings against Atlanta, allowing one earned run and striking out six. Earlier in the season, Luzardo delivered one of his best starts against the Braves, throwing nine shutout innings with 12 strikeouts in a 1-0 Phillies win. He also worked a scoreless inning in his previous outing against Tampa Bay.

Chris Sale is a player to watch for Atlanta. In his most recent start against Philadelphia, Sale went 6 1/3 innings, allowed three earned runs and struck out nine in a 5-3 Braves win. He also turned in a strong start against Cincinnati, giving up one run over 5 2/3 innings with 10 strikeouts. Sale has been a steady presence for Atlanta, and his recent work against the Phillies has been productive.

The teams have played a series of close and high-scoring games. Atlanta won 6-5 in 11 innings, while Philadelphia answered with a 1-0 victory behind Luzardo. Philadelphia also won 9-4, and Atlanta rolled to a 12-2 win. Those results have made the matchup difficult to predict, though Atlanta has had the edge in several recent meetings.

Philadelphia will look to even the series behind Sánchez and an offense that has shown bursts of power. Atlanta will rely on Mahle and a lineup that has produced runs in key spots. The Braves have been especially strong at home, while the Phillies have been competitive on the road. Both teams have playoff experience, adding to the stakes.

The game is part of a playoff series, and the atmosphere at Truist Park is expected to be loud. The Braves will aim to protect their home field, while the Phillies will try to steal a game before returning home. Pitching and timely hitting are likely to decide the outcome.

Interstat’s game simulator projects Atlanta to win 8-4. Interstat’s ELO system gives Atlanta a 52.4 percent probability to win. Philadelphia is installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The over/under is 7.