Braves at Marlins
All young players go through difficult stretches and Ronald Acuna Jr. is not immune to them, hitting .194 through a nine-game stretch before getting six hits in 13 at-bats across his past three games. The 21-year-old Atlanta Braves outfielder leads his team into Sunday’s series finale at the Miami Marlins after going 4-for-4 game in Saturday’s 9-2 victory, raising his average to .294, while his 22-year-old teammate Ozzie Albies added his third career grand slam to blow open the game.
Albies finished 2-for-6 with a career high-tying five RBIs in the middle game of the series to help Atlanta win for the fifth time in seven games, giving the second baseman four homers and 10 RBIs in his past nine games with a .333 average in that span. The Marlins remain stuck on nine victories - the only team in the majors with fewer than 10 - and have dropped six of their past seven games. Outfielder Peter O’Brien, recalled from Triple-A New Orleans earlier Saturday, drove in two runs with a second-inning single for Miami. Second baseman Starlin Castro finished 0-for-3 and is hitless in his past 19 at-bats for the Marlins.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, FS South (Atlanta), FS Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Julio Teheran (2-4, 5.35 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Pablo Lopez (2-4, 4.78)
Teheran began his season by going 2-1 in his first four starts, but over his past three outings has pitched to a 6.11 ERA with 17 hits allowed (including four homers) over 17 2/3 innings. The 28-year-old has surrendered four earned runs or more in three of his past five starts, giving up four runs on five hits (three homers) across seven innings with eight strikeouts in Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to San Diego. Teheran is 7-6 with a 4.28 ERA in 20 career starts against Miami.
Lopez earned the win in his first start of the season, but has allowed four earned runs in three of his next five starts and is 1-4 in that stretch. The 23-year-old gave up four runs on three hits with four strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings Sunday at Philadelphia, five days after allowing no earned runs on two hits with six strikeouts over a season-best 6 1/3 innings to beat Cleveland. Lopez faced the Braves on April 5, surrendering four runs on seven hits in five innings of a 4-0 loss.
WALK-OFFS
1. Miami C Jorge Alfaro went 0-for-4 Saturday, but is 5-for-14 with two homers against the Braves this season.
2. Atlanta, which was 15-for-102 with runners in scoring position in its previous 11 games, finished 6-for-18 Saturday.
3. Braves C Brian McCann is 3-for-7 with six RBIs and three runs scored in the series.