<img alt="MLB: Colorado Rockies at Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sqx9EZAs-IffKIewW8_8gRg7mxY=/0x0:5056x3371/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73574459/usa_today_24153244.0.jpg">
Charlie Morton looks to stay hot | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Charlie Morton looks to extend the rotation’s streak of games of three earned runs or less to twenty-eight The Atlanta Braves just came off of a walk-off win to tie the New York Mets and will face off against the Cincinnati Reds to hopefully take the lead in the race.
The game tonight comes after a rare scenario where it is a makeup game from earlier in the season and will only be a one game set before the Braves plays the Nationals tomorrow. This game is from that weird week where two out of four games were postponed due to weather. The Braves also lost the two games that they were able to play.
Hopefully things will be a little different this go around. The Braves’ rotation is on a streak of twenty-seven straight games where they have allowed three or fewer runs. To put this in perspective, when the streak reached nineteen, it was the best since 1915 (that is not a typo). The Braves are 17-10 in that stretch.
Tonight will feature Charlie Morton on the mound. Ever since his terrible start on August eighth where he gave up eight earned runs in 2.2 innings against the Brewers, he has been much better than his season stats show. Since then he has a 3.25 ERA, 3.61 FIP, with hitters slashing .250/.345/.394 against him over five starts and 27.2 innings. This is with hitters being a bit fortunate against him with a .354 batting average of balls in play (BABIP).
The Reds are a relatively young team with no one having more than six at-bats against Morton. Of the ten players that have faced him, Amed Rosario and Spencer Steer have had the most success in limited action. Rosario has a 1.250 OPS in four at-bats, and Steer has a 1.667 OPS in three at-bats. As some may remember Steer was a thorn in the Braves’ side in the last game that these two teams faced off. He had three extra-base hits along with three RBI. Fortunately for the Braves this go around, most of this damage was against rookie Allan Winans when the Braves were still trying to figure out what to do with the back end of their rotation.
The Braves will be facing Nick Martinez who sports a 3.67 ERA and 1.153 WHIP this season. Both are better than his career averages. He has appeared in thirty-eight games this year, and has started twelve of those. He has not faced Atlanta yet this season. His last seven appearances have been starts, and has had a 3.72 ERA, 4.42 FIP, and hitters have a slash of .262/.307/.440.
According to Statcast, his expected ERA this season shows he has actually been unlucky with an xERA of 3.49 with his actual ERA being higher. Of course, this factors in the time he was a relief pitcher as well when fatigue would not have been as much of a variable. His walk rate of 3.6 percent is in the best among the entire sport with only two percent of qualified pitchers having a better walk rate.
Martinez looks to be a tough matchup for the Braves. The one shining light of hope is that his best pitch is his changeup, and Marcell Ozuna, Travis d’Arnaud, and Matt Olson have all been well above league average against this pitch. d’Arnaud has a .944 slugging, Ozuna has a .309 average and .509 slugging, and Olson has a .481 slugging against it.
If the Braves can get to Martinez early, and Morton can continue his hot streak, the Braves have a decent shot to win this game this evening before moving on to playing the Nationals tomorrow.
First pitch is at 6:40 ET
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 9, 6:40 p.m. ET
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, Ga.
TV: Bally Sports South
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan
<img alt="MLB: Colorado Rockies at Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sqx9EZAs-IffKIewW8_8gRg7mxY=/0x0:5056x3371/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73574459/usa_today_24153244.0.jpg">
Charlie Morton looks to stay hot | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Charlie Morton looks to extend the rotation’s streak of games of three earned runs or less to twenty-eight The Atlanta Braves just came off of a walk-off win to tie the New York Mets and will face off against the Cincinnati Reds to hopefully take the lead in the race.
The game tonight comes after a rare scenario where it is a makeup game from earlier in the season and will only be a one game set before the Braves plays the Nationals tomorrow. This game is from that weird week where two out of four games were postponed due to weather. The Braves also lost the two games that they were able to play.
Hopefully things will be a little different this go around. The Braves’ rotation is on a streak of twenty-seven straight games where they have allowed three or fewer runs. To put this in perspective, when the streak reached nineteen, it was the best since 1915 (that is not a typo). The Braves are 17-10 in that stretch.
Tonight will feature Charlie Morton on the mound. Ever since his terrible start on August eighth where he gave up eight earned runs in 2.2 innings against the Brewers, he has been much better than his season stats show. Since then he has a 3.25 ERA, 3.61 FIP, with hitters slashing .250/.345/.394 against him over five starts and 27.2 innings. This is with hitters being a bit fortunate against him with a .354 batting average of balls in play (BABIP).
The Reds are a relatively young team with no one having more than six at-bats against Morton. Of the ten players that have faced him, Amed Rosario and Spencer Steer have had the most success in limited action. Rosario has a 1.250 OPS in four at-bats, and Steer has a 1.667 OPS in three at-bats. As some may remember Steer was a thorn in the Braves’ side in the last game that these two teams faced off. He had three extra-base hits along with three RBI. Fortunately for the Braves this go around, most of this damage was against rookie Allan Winans when the Braves were still trying to figure out what to do with the back end of their rotation.
The Braves will be facing Nick Martinez who sports a 3.67 ERA and 1.153 WHIP this season. Both are better than his career averages. He has appeared in thirty-eight games this year, and has started twelve of those. He has not faced Atlanta yet this season. His last seven appearances have been starts, and has had a 3.72 ERA, 4.42 FIP, and hitters have a slash of .262/.307/.440.
According to Statcast, his expected ERA this season shows he has actually been unlucky with an xERA of 3.49 with his actual ERA being higher. Of course, this factors in the time he was a relief pitcher as well when fatigue would not have been as much of a variable. His walk rate of 3.6 percent is in the best among the entire sport with only two percent of qualified pitchers having a better walk rate.
Martinez looks to be a tough matchup for the Braves. The one shining light of hope is that his best pitch is his changeup, and Marcell Ozuna, Travis d’Arnaud, and Matt Olson have all been well above league average against this pitch. d’Arnaud has a .944 slugging, Ozuna has a .309 average and .509 slugging, and Olson has a .481 slugging against it.
If the Braves can get to Martinez early, and Morton can continue his hot streak, the Braves have a decent shot to win this game this evening before moving on to playing the Nationals tomorrow.
First pitch is at 6:40 ET
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 9, 6:40 p.m. ET
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, Ga.
TV: Bally Sports South
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan
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