<img alt="Detroit Tigers v Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4B35SrtX_2GXNg9UvQqibDStdRQ=/0x0:4001x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73436175/2158358822.0.jpg">
Photo by Casey Sykes/Getty Images
The Braves have already secured a winning June, but can make it just a bit better with a win on its last day After an easy 6-1 win on Friday and a more-frustrating-than-it-should-have-been 2-1 walkoff win on Saturday, the Braves have a chance to sweep away the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. Having already secured a winning month of June with their last two games, the Braves can make things just a little bit sweeter with a sweep before the calendar turns to July.
In pursuit of that goal, they’ll send rookie Spencer Schwellenbach to the mound. The 24-year-old right-hander has had a whirlwind tour of the major league experience for a starting pitcher at this point. He didn’t fare that well in his first two career starts, but then kept the ball in the ballpark en route to a much better performance in career starts three and four. But then, he got BABIPed and strand rate’d by the Cardinals in his most recent outing, leading to four runs charged despite no homers allowed and a 6/0 K/BB ratio. Put all these things together, and his line so far includes a 131 ERA-, but an 87 FIP- and 95 xFIP-. If he can keep doing something akin to the 13/2 K/BB ratio he’s managed over his last two outings, maybe the Baseball Gods will smile on him and help straighten out his line.
The Pirates, meanwhile, will counter with someone that’s already had plenty of divine providence at this point: Bailey Falter. The 27-year-old southpaw has a 97/114/115 line (ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-), giving him marginally above average results despite some relatively poor pitching. (Falter’s xERA is even worse than his x/FIP peripherals.)
Falter faced the Braves back on May 24, where he lasted 7 1⁄3 innings with a 4/1 K/BB ratio. Before that start, his line was 86/121/125. However, since that start against the Braves, the worm has turned on his luck, as he has a 123/101/98 line instead. If you exclude his legitimately good start against the Blue Jays, which came right after he faced the Braves, he has a 161/113/99 line, which is a pretty interesting reversal from his early-season run. In other words, he’s actually been pitching better lately, but he’s not getting the run prevention results he was earlier in the season. The Braves have been nothing if not spurned in the inputs-versus-outputs game so far this season — they now have the fifth-biggest xwOBA underperformance among teams for the season, including by far (by far by far by far) the largest underperformance among all teams since May 1 and the third-largest underperformance since June 1 — and while that led to a big loss against Falter previously, maybe things will be different this time around. Or not.
This game is on Roku for some reason, along with a weird 11:15 am start, but it’s not a Roku exclusive, and thus should be viewable through MLB.tv as well as on therokuchannel.roku.com.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Sunday, June 30, 11:15 a.m. ET
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: Bally Sports Southeast
Streaming: Roku (available on MLB.tv and Roku’s website, even if you don’t have a Roku device)
Radio: 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM
XM Radio: Ch. 175
<img alt="Detroit Tigers v Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4B35SrtX_2GXNg9UvQqibDStdRQ=/0x0:4001x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73436175/2158358822.0.jpg">
Photo by Casey Sykes/Getty Images
The Braves have already secured a winning June, but can make it just a bit better with a win on its last day After an easy 6-1 win on Friday and a more-frustrating-than-it-should-have-been 2-1 walkoff win on Saturday, the Braves have a chance to sweep away the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. Having already secured a winning month of June with their last two games, the Braves can make things just a little bit sweeter with a sweep before the calendar turns to July.
In pursuit of that goal, they’ll send rookie Spencer Schwellenbach to the mound. The 24-year-old right-hander has had a whirlwind tour of the major league experience for a starting pitcher at this point. He didn’t fare that well in his first two career starts, but then kept the ball in the ballpark en route to a much better performance in career starts three and four. But then, he got BABIPed and strand rate’d by the Cardinals in his most recent outing, leading to four runs charged despite no homers allowed and a 6/0 K/BB ratio. Put all these things together, and his line so far includes a 131 ERA-, but an 87 FIP- and 95 xFIP-. If he can keep doing something akin to the 13/2 K/BB ratio he’s managed over his last two outings, maybe the Baseball Gods will smile on him and help straighten out his line.
The Pirates, meanwhile, will counter with someone that’s already had plenty of divine providence at this point: Bailey Falter. The 27-year-old southpaw has a 97/114/115 line (ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-), giving him marginally above average results despite some relatively poor pitching. (Falter’s xERA is even worse than his x/FIP peripherals.)
Falter faced the Braves back on May 24, where he lasted 7 1⁄3 innings with a 4/1 K/BB ratio. Before that start, his line was 86/121/125. However, since that start against the Braves, the worm has turned on his luck, as he has a 123/101/98 line instead. If you exclude his legitimately good start against the Blue Jays, which came right after he faced the Braves, he has a 161/113/99 line, which is a pretty interesting reversal from his early-season run. In other words, he’s actually been pitching better lately, but he’s not getting the run prevention results he was earlier in the season. The Braves have been nothing if not spurned in the inputs-versus-outputs game so far this season — they now have the fifth-biggest xwOBA underperformance among teams for the season, including by far (by far by far by far) the largest underperformance among all teams since May 1 and the third-largest underperformance since June 1 — and while that led to a big loss against Falter previously, maybe things will be different this time around. Or not.
This game is on Roku for some reason, along with a weird 11:15 am start, but it’s not a Roku exclusive, and thus should be viewable through MLB.tv as well as on therokuchannel.roku.com.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Sunday, June 30, 11:15 a.m. ET
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: Bally Sports Southeast
Streaming: Roku (available on MLB.tv and Roku’s website, even if you don’t have a Roku device)
Radio: 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM
XM Radio: Ch. 175
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