This Tuesday the (75-48) Atlanta Braves and the (47-74) Pittsburgh Pirates will play game two of this three-game series. The first pitch will be thrown out at 7:05 PM EST inside PNC Park. This will be the second series between these two teams this season, as the Braves swept the Pirates in their last four-game series.
The Atlanta Braves are coming into this one after winning their last series against the Houston Astros. The Braves showed up in the first two games of that series, as they scored 11 combined runs. They were hitting everything they could see and they continued to stack runs on the Astros. They will need to stay hot at the dish if they want to take care of business on the road.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are entering this one after losing their previous three-game series to the Cincinnati Reds. The Pirates struggled on the mound in the final two games of their last series. They gave up 1 9 combined runs in their two losses.
This game was written/published before last night's results.
The Atlanta Braves are currently holding the first NL Wild Card spot, as they have an 8.0 game lead over the second-place San Diego Padres. Atlanta is also (8-2) in their last 10 games, as they continue to stack wins throughout this season. Their strong play has also put them in second place in the NL East, as they are only 4.0 games behind the first-place Mets. At the plate, the Braves are scoring 4.89 runs per game and they are hitting .252 as a team. This is the fourth most runs scored per game and the ninth highest overall team batting average. They are consistently reaching base safely and they are also driving in men when they are in scoring position. They have been one of the most clutch teams this season, as they continue to light up the scoreboard. They can also score multiple different ways, as they have a ton of power inside their lineup. They are hitting 1.52 bombs per game, which is the second most in the league. It is extremely difficult to keep up with them on the scoreboard, as they can stack runs in the blink of an eye. I also expect the Braves to stay aggressive once they have reached base safely. They have already stolen 70 bases this season, which is the 12th most in the MLB. They will do whatever it takes to push their base runners into scoring position, as the Braves have continued to drive in runs all season.
According to MLB.com, the Braves will start Max Fried on the mound. He has been one of the best pitchers in the league this season, as he is (11-4) with a 2.60 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. He has done a great job of keeping his opponents off the bases, as he has been striking out batters all season. He also looked solid in his last start, as he pitched for 7.0 innings and only gave up four hits and two earned run s against the Mets. Fried has also been a road warrior this season, as he is (5-1) with a 2.76 ERA on the road. He has continued to step into his opponent's ballparks and get the job done. The Braves also have one of the best bullpens in the league. They are allowing 3.21 runs per game, which is the fifth least. They can shut down the opposing batting lineup late in these games, as their bullpen hasn't blown many leads this season.