The Philadelphia Phillies weren't given much of a shot to beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Wild Card round to open the 2022 MLB Playoffs. But they quickly swept them out of the playoffs in their quick three-game series, moving onto the Divisional Round to take on the Atlanta Braves. With the series kicking off later today, we will unveil our Phillies bold predictions for their upcoming NLDS series against the Braves.

The Phillies and Braves have taken very different routes to get to where they are now. The Braves were neck-and-neck with the New York Mets atop the National League East all season long, while the Phillies barely held onto their Wild Card spot towards the end of the season. But as we all know, anything can happen in baseball, and Philadelphia may be getting hot at the perfect time.

Whether Philadelphia can beat the defending World Series champs remains to be seen, though. They have some holes that the Cardinals weren't able to exploit in their quick three-game set that Atlanta may be able to pick open. But an upset could also be on the table here, too, as the Phillies have a dangerous roster. Let's dive into our predictions and see what could happen in the Phillies NLDS series.

Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)

3. Ranger Suarez will struggle in Game 1 for the Phillies

With Zach Wheeler and Aaron Nola getting the starts in the Wild Card round, that leaves Ranger Suarez as the guy getting the ball in Game 1 for Philadelphia. He will have a tall task ahead of him, as he will likely have to go toe-to-toe with Max Fried if he wants to lead his team to a victory. Even if he pitches a good game, it may not be enough depending on how good Fried is in this one.

After a strong 2021 campaign, Suarez held a spot in the Phillies starting rotation all season long, and throughout the season, it became clear he was their third best option behind Wheeler and Nola. Suarez wasn't dominant (10-7, 3.65 ERA, 129 K, 1.33 WHIP) but he was good enough to give Wheeler and Nola some support throughout the season.

Unfortunately, that won't be the case in Game 1. Suarez will last just 2.1 innings, giving up five runs in the process, putting the Phillies in a very big hole considering they are going up against Fried. It won't be an ideal start to the playoffs for Suarez, and it will leave manager Rob Thompson wondering how he will piece together his rotation over the next few games with the Phillies staring at a quick 1-0 deficit.

2. Zach Wheeler and Aaron Nola will dominate Games 2 & 3 for the Phillies

As previously mentioned, Wheeler and Nola got the starts in the Wild Card games, and Thompson can pitch them in Games 2 & 3 on five days rest, which will be necessary given the result of Game 1. Both guys were electric against the Cardinals, and they will be just as good against the Braves.

Wheeler will be on top of his game in Game 2, as he goes seven strong innings, giving up just three hits while striking out eight along the way. Wheeler won't give up any runs for the second straight game, and Philadelphia's offense will do just enough to be able to grind out a win to even the series at one apiece heading back to Philadelphia.

Nola won't be as good as Wheeler, but he will get more run support than Wheeler, and it will be enough to lead the Phillies to a 2-1 series lead. Nola will grind out 5.2 innings against the Braves, finishing the game with 114 pitches. He will give up two runs on five hits, but strikes out six, and allows Philadelphia to build up a lead they won't let go of. The Phillies will head into Game 4 with a chance to move onto the NLCS in front of their home crowd thanks to their strong starting duo.

1. Phillies DH Bryce Harper will hit a game-winning home run in Game 5

Game 4 will see the Phillies in a weird spot. They could turn to Suarez on short rest, but after his struggles in Game 1, they probably won't be in any rush to do that. Their best option is probably to turn to Bailey Falter, who will likely be going up against Charlie Morton. Morton hasn't been great this season, but he will turn back the clock and silence the Phillies offense to force a Game 5.

Game 5 will likely feature Fried back on the hill against Wheeler on short rest. Wheeler does enough, and the Phillies force Fried out earlier than expected, turning things over to the bullpen for both sides by the fifth inning. The score will be tied at three heading into the eighth inning, with the middle part of the Phillies order coming to bat.

We haven't talked much about the hitting so far, but that changes with Bryce Harper. Harper had a clutch home run in Game 2 against the Cardinals, and he will line a solo shot off of A.J. Minter with one out in the eighth that ends up being the game-winner. For the second straight series, the Phillies will ride their strong pitching staff to an upset, and they will head to the NLCS for another difficult series.