Two favorites for the title are colliding for the final time unless they make October reservations. The Atlanta Braves (59-28) will look to cap an unreal stretch of winning baseball before their many All-Stars enjoy Seattle's festivities. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays (57-34) are trying to break out of their first major funk of the 2023 season. The Braves took the series opener on Friday, and they're facing each other again under the bright lights Saturday night. This Sunday matinee from Tropicana Field is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. EDT, pitting MLB's elite head-to-head again.
Got it done ??#ForTheA pic.twitter.com/H5yWlCq2HQ
— AtBraves ???????????????? (@Braves) July 8, 2023
Friday's win pushed Atlanta to 19-2 over their past 21 games. Closing out the first half with a win would emphatically punctuate the sheer dominance they've displayed. Bryce Elder will get the start, looking to lead the Braves to a fifth straight win when he's on the mound. Over the previous four, he's allowed five runs in 25.2 innings pitched. Elder enters this matchup with MLB's best ERA and ERA+. He's been even better on the road, with a 1.62 ERA and no homers allowed, so let's see if Elder can shut down Tampa's powerful offense.
Of course, Atlanta's offense is just as explosive. Since June 1, the Braves are averaging over 6.5 runs per game, by far the most in the majors. They're slowly creeping up to Texas for the top-scoring spot this season. There isn't a team with a higher slugging percentage and only one team has a higher OBP. With MLB's highest hard-hit rate, th e seventh-lowest strikeout rate, and an 85% stolen base success rate, the Braves offense isn't going anywhere.