The Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves faced off in their second game of a series following the Diamondbacks’ victory over the Braves on Tuesday night. For this matchup, the Diamondbacks are starting right-hander Merrill Kelly, who has a 5-2 record with a 3.78 ERA. Despite his solid season, Kelly is looking to recover after giving up eight runs across his last two starts. On the opposing side, the Braves will send out veteran left-hander Chris Sale, who has a 3-3 record and a stellar 3.06 ERA. Sale is coming off an impressive outing where he didn’t allow any runs and struck out eight batters in six innings against the Phillies.
The Braves, who have lost nine of their last twelve games, find themselves five games under .500. Although they possess a strong lineup, scoring has been an issue, averaging only 3.7 runs per game in their last dozen contests, which is lower than the Diamondbacks’ 4.3 runs per game during that span. A significant concern for Arizona is their bullpen, which has a high 5.23 ERA, contrasting with the Braves’ bullpen, which has a more favorable 3.65 ERA. This bullpen performance could influence the outcome of the game.
Sale’s recent performance gives the Braves a competitive edge, as he boasts a 2-0 record with a remarkable 1.11 ERA and 40 strikeouts in his last five games. Given the circumstances, it’s predicted that the Braves will likely turn their fortunes around and capitalize on Kelly’s recent struggles.
For those interested, a betting line of Braves ML (-170) was available at the time of writing, suggesting a cautious optimism for the team’s chances.
In a positive light, even though the Braves are facing challenges, they have the talent and pitching prowess to make a comeback. With Sale leading the way, there is still hope for Atlanta to turn their season around.