Atlanta will play the second game of its three-game series in Seattle on Saturday night. The Braves were on a seven-game winning streak entering the series, while Seattle was coming off a series loss to the White Sox. This story was published prior to Friday night’s series opener.
Atlanta has been one of the hottest teams in the majors since the beginning of August, losing just five games since Aug. 7. Three of those losses came in consecutive contests near the end of last month, but the Braves have bounced back with a seven-game winning streak that included series sweeps against Colorado and Miami. They are on an eight-game road trip that will conclude with a stop in San Francisco at the beginning of next week. Atlanta is just a half-game back of New York at the top of the National League East standings heading into Friday’s slate, but the Braves are in complete control of the top NL Wild Card spot.
“Austin Riley gave me his bat.”@GrissomVaughn has a simple explanation for his latest hot streak.@Kelly_Crull catches up with the rookie after another @Braves win. pic.twitter.com/ESH094ukLh
— Bally Sports: Braves (@ BravesOnBally) September 7, 2022
They rank ninth in the majors in batting average, hitting at a .254 clip. Shortstop Dansby Swanson has put together a career year, batting .284 with 153 hits and 18 home runs. Third baseman Austin Riley has 150 hits, including a team-high 35 homers. They will be facing Seattle pitching staff that ranks fifth in the majors with an ERA of 3.46. Left-handed pitcher Max Fried is going to be on the mound for Atlanta on Saturday. He was throwing a no-hitter against Miami on Sunday before a two-hour rain delay led to his exit from the game. Fried has thrown at least five innings and allowed three earned runs or fewer in 13 consecutive starts, posting a 2.07 ERA during that span. He is in contention for the NL Cy Young Award.