Today is a much needed off day for the Atlanta Braves as they head into a four game home series against the Washington Nationals. You can look at it both ways for the Braves off day. The Braves do need the rest because a lot of the players are in the lineup down this stretch run, but the Braves have won eight out of the last 10 games and won 10 straight home games and they don’t need to lose momentum. But the Braves do not make the schedule, which is actually made years in advance.
The Braves enter today on top of the NL East by seven games over the Nationals. The Braves are 86-54 and the Nationals with their loss earlier today are 78-60. The race for the NL East pennant comes down to these two teams. This home series this weekend will determine who wins this division.
The Braves have a chance to win 100 games this season if they finish the remainder of their games 14-8. One hundred games won hasn’t been accomplished by a Braves team since 2003. The Braves have the young core of talent such as LF Ronald Acuna, Jr, 2B Ozzie Albies, and the veteran leadership with talent such as 1B Freddie Freeman and 3B Josh Donaldson to accomplish the 100 games. Maybe the baseball gods can be on the Braves side this year. The pitching probables for the series are as follows:
Thursday: WASH – Stratsburg (16-5, 3.47 ERA
ATL- Fried (15-4, 4.05 ERA)
Friday: WASH – Corbin (11-6, 3.19 EA)
ATL – Keuchel (6-5, 3.72 ERA)
Saturday: WASH – Ross (3-4, 6.17 ERA
ATL – Teheran (9-8, 3.38 ERA)
Sunday: WASH – Scherzer (9-5, 2.60 ERA)
ATL – Soroka (11-3, 2.53 ERA)
This series will feel like a playoff series with the fans getting into the game. I believe the Braves will split this series. Both teams are very strong at this point in the season and both evenly matched. Lets play some meaningful September baseball. First pitch Thursday set for 7:20 pm EST.
Kirkley's Sports Korner 