Professional sports are entertaining on their own, but the action gets taken to another level when a rivalry is involved. The City of Philadelphia's rich sports history is filled with rivalries, whether it's the Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, Flyers and New York Rangers, 76ers and Boston Celtics, or Phillies and Atlanta Braves.
While some of the aforementioned feuds are currently on pause, the Phillies-Braves rivalry is set to resume on Tuesday with the start of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. The NL East foes previously clashed at Truist Park for three games in early April, resulting in two wins for Atlanta.
Looking to get some extra revenge in the coming days, the Phillies reached out to the Eagles for a big favor before the action begins.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman to Throw Out 1st Pitch at Tuesday's Phillies-Braves Game
On Monday afternoon, NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark reported that Eagles executive vice president/general manager Howie Roseman "will throw out a ceremonial first pitch (Tuesday) night."
Clark added that Roseman will be joined by Guy Gaudreau, whose local hockey-playing sons, Johnny and Matthew, tragically died in a New Jersey drunk-driving incident last summer. The Gaudreau Family will be holding a 5K run in nearby Sewell, NJ, on Saturday.
The Eagles' 49-year-old executive is fresh off February's Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, meaning Citizens Bank Park should have a celebratory feel to it. Perhaps Roseman's presence will motivate the Phillies to beat the Braves in front of a rowdy Philly crowd, further extending the gap in the divisional race.
As of Monday, the Phillies occupy the top spot of the NL East with a 34-19 record, putting them 8.5 games ahead of the Braves (25-27), who are also 4.5 games back of the National League's final wild-card spot with four clubs ahead of them.
Recent history shows the NL East rivals have been fairly even, with Philadelphia going 9-10 in their last 19 encounters with Atlanta. Interestingly enough, the long-time rivals have also split their last 20 encounters at Citizens Bank Park with 10 wins apiece.
Assuming Roseman's presence helps lead to a series win over the Braves, the Phillies' divisional outlook will appear even more promising once the smoke clears. For now, Rob Thomson's club is FanDuel Sportsbook's -110 favorite to win the NL East, whereas the Braves sit third at +550 odds.
Meanwhile, the Eagles will continue with their offseason as FanDuel's +650 Super Bowl 60 favorite.
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