The Atlanta Braves stick with the same lineup to face the Cincinnati Reds…
The Atlanta Braves are keeping yesterday’s lineup intact for their one-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, a game that was originally set for early August but got postponed due to weather.
While the Braves’ pitching rotation and bullpen are arguably among the top three in MLB, their offense has been struggling.
Despite the rotation allowing three or fewer earned runs in the last 27 games, the Braves have lost 10 of those contests, with most of those losses not falling on the bullpen.
During this stretch, the Braves are 15th in MLB in runs scored—a significant improvement from the early months when they ranked in the bottom five—but it still leaves little room for error, especially in a tight playoff race.
With injuries affecting the lineup, there’s been uncertainty about daily starters. The latest blow was Whit Merrifield’s broken foot, which led to Luke Williams starting at second base yesterday, as Ozzie Albies remains unavailable. Questions also linger about the outfield setup.
In yesterday’s game, Eli White came in during the ninth inning, going 2-for-2 in crucial moments. Michael Harris appears to be a lock in the lineup, but Jorge Soler remains uncertain. However, today’s lineup remains unchanged from yesterday.
It’ll be interesting to see if the Braves start to settle into a more consistent lineup, rotating mainly based on whether they’re facing a right-handed or left-handed pitcher.
Travis d’Arnaud was expected to catch today, but he’s been placed on paternity leave, with Chadwick Tromp called up in his place.
The Reds’ starting pitcher, Nick Martinez, has worked as both a starter and reliever, so there haven’t been many matchups against him for the Braves. Only Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna have more than four at-bats against him.
Olson has a .308 batting average, a 1.207 OPS, and two home runs in 13 at-bats against Martinez, while Ozuna boasts a .500 average, a 1.875 OPS, and two home runs in eight at-bats. Both Olson and Ozuna have been strong against changeups this season, which happens to be Martinez’s most effective pitch.
The Reds’ lineup is relatively young, and most of their hitters haven’t faced Braves starter Charlie Morton much. Jake Fraley has had six at-bats against him, but no one else has more than four. Amed Rosario (1.250 OPS in four at-bats) and Spencer Steer (1.667 OPS in three at-bats) are players to watch.
Steer, who had a big game the last time he faced Atlanta, will lead off and play left field, with rising star Elly De La Cruz following him in the lineup. Rosario will be batting eighth as the designated hitter.
This game could be close if the Braves’ offense doesn’t ignite early.
