Take heart, Braves fans.
You only have to stay up late three more nights.
Atlanta wraps up its west coast swing with a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, with Game 1 set for Monday night. Julio Teheran will take the ball for the Braves against a familiar foe, Ricky Nolasco, who spent the first seven seasons of his big league career with the Marlins.
In the first of two California series, the Braves lost two out of three to the Giants. Atlanta won the first game, 2-0, behind a strong performance from Jaime Garcia, before shaky starts from Mike Foltynewicz and R.A. Dickey doomed Atlanta in the final two contests.
Teheran rebounded from getting shelled by Toronto on May 18, to go six innings against the Pirates his last time out. The only blemish on his line came off the bat of Adam Frazier, who belted a three-run homer to put three unearned runs on the board. In that game, the Braves gave Teheran the lead after he left, but Jim Johnson blew a save and the Pirates got seven runs off now-released Josh Collmenter in the 10th inning.
Teheran has never faced the Angels in his career, but there are a few batters he is quite familiar with from their days in the National League East. Danny Espinosa, formerly of the Nationals, is just 4-for-24 against Teheran lifetime. Ben Revere has enjoyed slightly more success, as he is 5-for-20 with five RBIs against him from his time with the Phillies. Luis Valbuena is 2-for-12 against Teheran, but one of those hits was a homer.
Nolasco’s start is about on par with his past career numbers, as he is currently 2-4 with a 4.37 ERA. The Braves have always hit Nolasco well, as he has a 6-10 record with a 5.11 ERA in 23 starts. He has allowed 23 lifetime homers to the Braves, six more than the next most (Tampa Bay).
Fortunately for Nolasco, Chipper Jones nor Brian McCann play for the Braves any more, as the two Braves of old combined for 12 home runs against the righty. In the current lineup, Brandon Phillips is 6-for-30 with a homer and five RBIs against him. Kurt Suzuki and Matt Kemp also have left the yard against Nolasco in the past.
The Angels come into the series 26-27, second in the AL West, but losers of four of the last five games. Superstar Mike Trout may not be around for the next few games, as he injured his thumb on a slide over the weekend, and his status for Monday’s game was questionable.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Monday, May 29, 2017, 9:07 pm ET
Location: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA
TV: FOX Sports Southeast, MLB Network (out-of-market)
Radio: 680 AM, 93.7 FM, WYAY 106.7, Braves Radio Network