Braves at Pirates
Josh Bell is off to a slow start through two games in June after a torrid May, but the Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman looks to heat up again entering Tuesday’s opener of a three-game home series against the Atlanta Braves. Bell, who was named the National League Player of the Month after batting .390 with 12 homers in 29 games last month, started the week leading the majors with 53 RBIs while ranking fourth in the NL in hitting at .332 and tied for fourth in homers with 18.
Bell - who is 1-for-10 with six strikeouts in his past two games - isn’t the only Pittsburgh player excelling at the plate, as rookie left fielder Bryan Reynolds is batting .425 during his current 11-game hitting streak. The Pirates entered Monday’s off day losers of eight of their past 11 games while sitting fourth in the NL Central, and now face an Atlanta team that has won six of its past seven series to pull within one game of NL East leader Philadelphia entering the week. The Braves have their own award winner from May in outfielder Austin Riley, who claimed NL rookie of the month honors by hitting .356 with a 1.143 OPS, seven homers and 20 RBIs in just 15 games. Shortstop Dansby Swanson homered in back-to-back victories over Detroit on Saturday and Sunday, and enters the series hitting .333 with five homers, 12 RBIs and 10 runs scored in his past 11 games.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves LH Max Fried (7-3, 3.19 ERA) vs. Pirates LH Steven Brault (2-1, 5.87)
Fried struggled with command at times in his last start May 28 against Washington, walking three while allowing four runs on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings to take the loss. The 25-year-old has pitched well in his first full season in Atlanta’s rotation, giving up two runs or fewer seven times in 11 starts and overall - including two relief stints in the season’s opening week – has posted a 1.21 WHIP. Fried, who began the week tied for second in the NL in victories, is 4-1 with a 3.81 ERA in seven appearances (five starts) on the road.
Brault has worked both as a starter and reliever this season, and makes his fourth start of 2019 after pitching 5 1/3 scoreless innings to open the game with three hits allowed and five strikeouts Wednesday to win at Cincinnati. The 27-year-old has allowed two runs or fewer in two of his three starts, the lone rough outing coming May 12 at St. Louis when he surrendered six runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings. Right-handed batters are hitting .306 with a .951 OPS against Brault, who has posted a 5.54 ERA and 1.62 WHIP as a starter this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Braves pitchers have posted a 3.88 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP in the past 30 games.
2. The Pirates have gone eight straight games and 77 consecutive innings without making an error.
3. Atlanta RF Nick Markakis grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning Sunday, extending the majors’ longest current active consecutive games played streak to 225 games.