Braves at Dodgers
After Nick Markakis struggled in the second half last season there were plenty of questions when the Atlanta Braves resigned him, but the veteran right fielder is off to a hot start entering Monday’s series opener at the Los Angeles Dodgers. Markakis has hit safely in 11 of his past 12 games after belting a solo homer to help the Braves finish a three-game sweep of Miami on Sunday and comes into Monday hitting .333 with a .925 OPS after going 2-for-2 with two walks in the series finale.
The Braves have won seven of their past 12 games despite going .168 with runners in scoring position during that stretch and finishing 0-for-5 Sunday with runners on second and third. Atlanta now faces the team that knocked it out of the National League playoffs last season and the Dodgers have won seven of their past 10 games despite giving up four runs in the bottom of the ninth of Sunday’s 8-5 loss at San Diego. Los Angeles has hit 57 homers this season - second in the NL - after getting longballs from Max Muncy and Chris Taylor in Sunday’s defeat. Cody Bellinger, who leads the majors with a .412 average and 38 RBIs, struck out Sunday in a pinch-hit appearance as he was sidelined over the weekend with a sore right shoulder.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Kevin Gausman (1-2, 4.83 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Walker Buehler (3-0, 5.22)
Gausman will make his seventh start, on two days rest, after he was ejected following 27 pitches and 1 2/3 innings of work Friday at Miami for throwing at Marlins pitcher Jose Urena. The 28-year-old gave up one run on one hit against Miami, after allowing 10 earned runs on 13 hits with 11 strikeouts across 10 1/3 innings in his previous two starts. Gausman, who has limited opposing hitters to a .207 average in 31 2/3 innings this season, surrendered four runs on eight hits in five innings for Baltimore against the Dodgers in 2016, and gave up two runs on two hits over two innings in Game 3 of last season’s NL Division Series.
Buehler has benefited from the Dodgers scoring six runs or more in five of his first six starts, as his ERA is nearly double the 2.62 he posted in 24 games in 2018 while finishing third in NL Rookie of the Year voting. The 24-year-old gave up 11 runs in his first three starts but has settled down of late, giving up six earned runs on 13 hits across 17 1/3 innings in his past three starts. Buehler held Atlanta to one run on two hits in 5 1/3 innings in his lone regular-season appearance against the Braves, but gave up five runs on five hits against them in Game 3 of last year’s NL Division Series.
WALK-OFFS
1. Los Angeles signed C Travis d’Arnaud, who the Mets released after going 2-for-23 to start the season.
2. Atlanta SS Dansby Swanson is hitting .300 with two doubles and four RBIs during his eight-game hitting streak.
3. Muncy drove home three runs Sunday and finished the weekend series 3-for-9 with a homer, two walks and seven RBIs.