Atlanta Braves vs Cincinnati Reds Picks and Predictions July 24th 2024

Chris Sale Hopes to Start Second Half Strong When Braves Face Reds

The Atlanta Braves will send ace Chris Sale to the hill against the meeting Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday as they intend to end a three-game long string of failures.

Braves’ New Battles

The Braves have been confronting an extreme fix, featured by their 4-1 loss against the Reds on Monday. This obvious the primary gathering between the two groups this season and stretched out Atlanta’s terrible streak to three games.

Chris Sale’s Stellar Presentation

Sale (13-3, 2.70 ERA) is supposed to start for the Braves, confronting Cincinnati right-hander Nick Martinez (3-5, 3.88 ERA), who will make his initial start since May 22. Sale will be searching for his fourth continuous triumph. In his latest start on July 14 against the San Diego Padres, Sale pitched five innings, allowing only one sudden spike in demand for four hits. This was the tenth time in 18 starts that he has allowed something like one run.

With his triumph over San Diego, Sale turned into the 6th pitcher in Braves establishment history to get something like 13 successes before the All-Star break, joining the positions of John Smoltz, who had 14 successes before the break in 1996.

“A warrior,” Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud said of Sale. “Just ready to pitch any time he has the ball. Wants the ball every inning. He’s not afraid of anybody, and I think that speaks volumes to any pitcher, especially when somebody comes back from a little rut that he had in his career. To come back and be who he is and who he was is pretty special.”

In his only previous start against Cincinnati, Sale yielded one run and five hits in 3 2/3 innings on June 1, 2023.

Nick Martinez’s Recent Performance

Martinez has made 28 appearances this season, including five starts. He has recorded three consecutive scoreless outings out of the bullpen, with his most recent one on July 14 against the Miami Marlins, where he pitched one inning. This game could serve as a showcase for Martinez, whose name has been linked to the Baltimore Orioles in trade rumors.

Martinez has faced Atlanta four times in his career, making three starts and going 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA.

Reds’ Motivation and Key Players

The Reds have drawn inspiration from a recent bus-ride talk by veteran catcher Luke Maile, who is currently on the 10-day injured list with a herniated disc.

“What he said was fantastic. It was perfect timing,” Reds right-hander Hunter Greene said. “It was professional and we needed it. He’s been a leader all year. It definitely motivated me. I know it motivated the rest of the team. When you have somebody like that who cares a lot and puts himself in position to be a leader and to pick the boys up, it’s always important.”

Cincinnati demonstrated their aggressive base running on Monday, stealing four bases and maintaining their lead in the majors with 143 steals this season. Elly De La Cruz leads the league with 49 stolen bases.

Braves’ Roster Updates

The Braves may be without third baseman Austin Riley, who left Monday’s down in the 10th inning as his significant other started giving birth. Additionally, utility man Whit Merrifield, endorsed on Monday, experienced a finger injury while taking grounders. In spite of the fact that dreaded to be a crack, X-beams were negative, and Merrifield is recorded as everyday.

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“Can’t make it up,” Atlanta supervisor Brian Snitker said. “This year is something different.”

Delay and Doubleheader Timetable

Tuesday night’s down between the Braves and Reds was delayed because of severe weather conditions. The groups will currently play a split doubleheader on Wednesday, with Game 1 booked for 12:20 p.m. ET and Game 2 at 6:05 p.m.

The Reds will send Frankie Montas (4-8, 4.85 ERA) to the hill to confront Braves right-hander Allan Winans (0-1, 10.80 ERA) in the opener. Starters for the subsequent game have not been officially reported, yet Braves left-hander Chris Sale (13-3, 2.70 ERA) was initially set to confront Cincinnati right-hander Nick Martinez (3-5, 3.88 ERA) on Tuesday.

Wednesday’s doubleheader will finish up the three-game series, which the Reds started with a 4-1 triumph on Monday.