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Braves Take on Pirates to Begin 9-Game Homestand
The Atlanta Braves will kick off a nine-game homestand on Friday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates, marking their fourth game in three different cities over a three-day span.
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Pitching Matchup
Charlie Morton
Braves’ right-hander Charlie Morton (4-4, 4.20 ERA) is scheduled to start the opener. Morton has had limited experience against the Pirates, with an 0-0 record and a 6.00 ERA in one career start.
Martin Perez
The Pirates will counter with veteran left-hander Martin Perez (1-3, 4.71 ERA). Perez is returning from a groin injury that sidelined him for a month. His last major league outing was against the Braves, where he left after three innings of one-run ball due to the injury. In his career against Atlanta, he is 0-1 with an 8.00 ERA.
Braves’ Recent Road Trip
The Braves come home after a 3-4 road trip that started well, winning two out of three games against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. However, they lost three of their last four games, including splitting a doubleheader at St. Louis on Wednesday and losing 1-0 to the White Sox in a makeup game on Thursday.
In their recent games, the Braves’ offense struggled, managing only six hits in a 4- 1 loss to the Cardinals and being shut out on three hits by five White Sox pitchers.
“ We won a series against the Yankees( and) we felt pretty good coming out of there, ” Braves director Brian Snitker said. “ We just could not score any runs. The pitching’s been really good.. Today we got a great start( from Chris trade). We just got ta get it going offensively again. ”
Offensive Struggles
Chris Sale allowed just one run on four hits over seven innings while striking out a season-high 11 in the Thursday loss. Despite nearly tying the score in the eighth inning, the Braves were unable to break through, with Chicago’s Tommy Pham making a crucial catch at the right field wall.
“ A little frustrated, but we are going to figure it out when we get home, ” Marcell Ozuna said. “ We have got a long homestand over there, and we should be fine. ”
Forthcoming Schedule
After the three- game series with the Pirates, the Braves will face the San Francisco Giants and then the first- place Philadelphia Phillies in a three- game National League East showdown.
Pirates’ Recent Performance
The Pirates, who have won two of three from the Braves earlier this season, come into the series well- rested. They recently won the last two games of a three- game series against the Cincinnati Reds.
In their latest game, a 6- 1 victory on Wednesday afternoon, Andrew McCutchen and Rowdy Tellez homered, while LuisL. Ortiz allowed one run on four hits over six innings, striking out seven.
“ We did not play well the first day here, ” Pirates director Derek Shelton said of the team’s 11- 5 loss on Monday. “ We had good at- bats but we did not throw the ball well. To be suitable to bounce back and to win two in a division series was really important for us, and I am proud of our group. ”
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Notable Performances
Pittsburgh’s Aroldis Chapman drawn nearer to an achievement, striking out two of the three hitters he looked during a scoreless 10th inning, bringing him inside one strikeout of Billy Wagner( 1,196) for most whiffs by a left-given reliever in MLB history.
Bryan Reynolds, a left fielder for the Pirates, is also on a hot streak. He has hit home runs in 23 of his games, the longest in the majors this season.
Conclusion
As the Braves expect to recapture their hostile structure and gather speed during their homestand, they will depend on Charlie Morton to convey major areas of strength for a. In the mean time, the Privateers, floated by late victories and a very much refreshed program, hope to expand their series of wins and exploit any Conquers’ slips up. For both teams, this series promises to be a crucial and competitive contest.
