The Braves and Rockies aren’t exactly what you’d call rivals, so it may seem a tad peculiar that they are facing each other at such a critical juncture of the season. However, this was not by design - today’s game is a make-up of the April 10 match-up which was postponed due to a blizzard.
This will technically be the third game of a series the Braves already won during the initial meeting back in April, and the second of the series that Julio Teheran will start. During the April 8 game, Julio got the win despite giving up six runs over five innings. That outing saw him give up the first two home runs he had ever given up at Coors Field, which in theory seems like the type of place that would eat him alive. On the season, Julio is 8-8 with a 3.53 ERA | 4.41 FIP.
His opponent, Rockies righty Tim Melville, is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA | 4.79 FIP - but the peripherals are misleading, as the sample size is only one game. Today is his second start of the season for Colorado. The journeyman has jumped back and forth between MLB and AAA over the past several seasons, seeing some time with the Reds, Twins, and Orioles since 2016. In his only other start this season - last week against the Diamondbacks - he worked seven one-run innings, striking out four and allowing two runs. With a career 31.9% ground ball rate, however, Coors Field could prove to be an adventure for him.
The news is not official yet, but Dansby Swanson could possibly be activated today, and it would be his first Major League activity since July 23 against the Royals. Even for a team that has gone 20-10 without him, his presence with the big league squad would be a sight for sore eyes.
Since these two teams last saw each other at SunTrust during a three-game set in the last weekend of April, they have taken very divergent paths. The Braves finished that series at 13-14, and have gone 67-38 since, jumping from third place to a six-game lead in the NL East. The Rockies finished that series 13-15, and have gone 45-58 since, falling into last place in the NL West. They are 33-29 at home, but the Braves are 41-25 on the road, so even with the discrepancies in record, today’s game is a toss-up. It’s the Coors Effect.
This will be a quick stop in Denver, as the Braves will turn around and head back to Toronto for a two-game series tomorrow afternoon.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Monday, August 26, 3:10 pm EST
Location: Coors Field, Denver, Colorado
TV / Streaming : YouTube exclusive
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, Rock 100.5, Braves Radio Network