There will be an electric pitching matchup Tuesday in Atlanta

Can we interest you in a matchup between the top two finishers in NL Cy Young Award voting a year ago Tuesday in Atlanta at, let's say, 7:15 p.m. ET?

Because the Atlanta Braves game got rained out Sunday, that will push Chris Sale, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, to Tuesday's series opener against the Phillies. He'll be opposed by the man he edged out last year in the race for the NL's top pitcher in Zack Wheeler. 

A season ago, Sale won the pitching triple crown, leading the National League in wins (18), ERA (2.38) and strikeouts (225). Additionally, Sale led the senior circuit in ERA+ (174), FIP (2.09), HR/9 (0.5), SO/9 (11.4) and WAR (6.4). 

To his credit, Wheeler led the NL in WHIP (0.955) and H/9 (6.3), while also racking up 22 1/3 more innings pitched than Sale. But he ultimately had to settle for the second runner-up finish in NL Cy Young Award voting in his career, something he said he didn't disagree with when asked about the results in Spring Training. 

"Yeah, I mean, I think Chris deserved it," Wheeler said. "I have no ill feelings towards anybody. But I think he deserved it — he had a really good season. So it was kind of hard to beat." 

Still, there's no doubt that Wheeler — a native of Smyrna, Georgia — would love to outpitch Sale Tuesday in Atlanta. 

Thus far, Wheeler is off to another tremendous start, as he has a 1.38 ERA and 18 strikeouts across his first two outings of the year. The Phillies — fresh off of a weekend series victory over the defending World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers — are 7-2. 

Sale, though, has a 5.40 ERA over his first two starts, which have spanned just 10 innings. The Braves have had a nightmarish 1-8 start. While they are going to get Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. back from injuries and can realistically expect internal improvements from players like Michael Harris II, Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley, they've dug themselves an early hole. Sale and Atlanta need this series much more than the Phillies do. 

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