After being swept by the Dodgers, and with the Diamondbacks, Cardinals, and Brewers looming on the schedule, the Braves did not have a very favorable outlook two weeks ago. The staff, bullpen, and lineup were all struggling, and some type of jolt was certainly needed. That is when Brian Snitker and his staff went with what worked in the past. Ronald Acuna Jr. was put in the lead-off spot on May 10th, and since then, the Braves have gone 8-2 over their past 10 games.
The secret to the success is not hard to find. Acuna Jr. has a 1.108 OPS since again becoming the lead-off hitter. Freddie Freeman has raised his OPS from .918 at the beginning of the Cardinals series to .986 as of last night, a span of seven games. Austin Riley is only the third player in baseball history to have this good of a start to his career, with at least three home runs and a 1.250 OPS or higher through 23 plate appearances. While their will be some aggression, with Acuna Jr. batting first and Riley added to the middle of the order, the Braves clearly have one of the best offenses in baseball.
While the offense has been amazing, it should not overshadow the pitching. That is especially true for tonight’s starter, Julio Teheran (3.98 ERA, 4.45 FIP, 4.57 xFIP). In three May starts, Teheran is 1-0 with a 0.53 ERA, allowing only one run in 17 innings. Hitters have produced a meager .435 OPS against him in May, totaling only 11 total bases. This is just the fifth time in Teheran’s career he has started three or more consecutive games with more than five innings pitched and one run or less surrendered. Sure, there is plenty of evidence to suggest Teheran’s recent success is more luck than a drastic improvement in skill, but his efforts have impacted Atlanta’s winning ways just the same.
Opposing Teheran tonight will be Shaun Anderson (3.60 ERA, 2.86 FIP, 3.64 xFIP). Yes, at first glance, Anderson looks as if he could be Noah Syndergaard’s Asgardian stunt double if confrontations get extremely violent across the nine realms. Despite his mythological locks, Anderson also possesses some intriguing pitching potential. A converted college reliever, Anderson has emerged from being the last pick in the 2013 draft to a top five Giants prospect entering 2019.
This will be Anderson’s second MLB start. He went five innings, allowing two hits, two earned runs, three walks, and producing five strikeouts in a 4-3 victory over the Blue Jays. Old friend Kiley Mcdaniel wrote an article last August they gave a good idea of what Anderson could become in the near future. In short, Anderson combines good control and a five-pitch arsenal to throw strikes and produce ground outs. The Braves should see plenty of good pitches to hit tonight.
If the offense can stay hot, it appears to be another favorable night for Atlanta. The key will be Teheran throwing strikes and trusting his defense.
WPA- Ronald Acuna Jr.- There are plenty of stats to support this notion, but I am just going to bank on logic. RAJ is again truly one of the best hitters of the game back at the leadoff spot. It is hard to bet against him right now.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, May 21, 9:45 p.m. ET
Location: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California
TV: Fox Sports Southeast
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, Rock 100.5, Braves Radio Network
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