Braves brunch baseball is back on the menu, folks.
The things to like about last night’s game? Runs on the board for the good guys (albeit late), ultimately not snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, and guaranteeing a series split.
No need to relive the bad or discuss the ninth inning other than the totally normal Iggy save.
The Braves have a golden opportunity to win a series against the Padres at home for the first time since 2018 (!) with their ace on the mound.
At this point in the season with our rollercoaster rotation, it almost brings tears to the eyes to see Chris Sale set to start. Sale (10-6, 2.06 ERA) twirled a gem in his last time out with seven shutout innings against the Texas Rangers. He threw 89 pitches, only surrendered two hits, and struck out six in a rare occasion for Braves starters this season: pitching 6+ innings. He also recorded career strikeout #2,700.
Other than that, July’s been a mixed bag for Chris with the frustrating rain-shortened outing in St. Louis and the five innings of three-run ball versus the Mets in the July 4th laugher.
The Padres did not face Sale when the Braves were in San Diego, but Manny Machado leads the team in ABs against him (11-for-35, .355 AVG, and .993 OPS). Xander Bogaerts is next-highest, 7-for-22. They have a homer apiece. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Gavin Sheets also have a homer off Sale in a smaller sample size. We’re hoping for more of what Jake Cronenworth has going on: he’s 0-for-10 with 6 K’s.
For the finale, the Padres will call upon starter Griffin Canning (1-8, 6.67 ERA). The former Angel/Met struggled mightily against the Braves when he faced them on June 23. Wandy Peralta served as an effective opener, but Canning only recorded two outs in the second inning. He gave up three earned runs before departing, and a fourth one scored after Kyle Hart walked in an inherited runner. Canning’s career versus the Braves: 7.2 IP, one loss, and a 12.91 ERA.
Since that game in San Diego, Canning hasn’t fared much better. The longest he’s lasted in his last four starts is 4.2 innings. His best outing in that bunch is when he held the Dodgers to one run in four innings of work.
With Sale pitching and the reemergence of the Braves offense in July, this one has the makings of a decisive win #60 to take the series and end the homestand on a high note. We’ll see what the lunchtime baseball has in store.
Game Date/Time: Thursday, July 23, 12:15 p.m. ET
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, Los Bravos
