Braves at Marlins
The top of the Atlanta Braves batting order has produced all season, and the trio of Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies and Freddie Freeman enter Thursday’s series opener at the Miami Marlins after destroying Minnesota pitching. In the final two of a three-game series won by the Braves, the top three spots in the lineup combined to go 18-for-31 with six homers, 13 RBIs and 15 runs scored after Albies homered twice Wednesday in Atlanta's 11-7 victory.
Albies boasts back-to-back four-hit games while Freeman has homered in three consecutive contests, and Acuna matched Freeman for the team lead in longballs with his 29th of the season Wednesday for the National League East-leading Braves, who saw their bullpen give up 10 runs on 14 hits with four homers allowed over 8 1/3 innings in the series. Now they head to Miami to face a team Atlanta has outscored 53-27 in winning 10 of 12 meetings this season - including all six games played at Marlins Park. The Marlins enter the series on a six-game losing streak after Wednesday’s 7-2 defeat at the New York Mets, averaging 2.7 runs and 7.8 hits during their skid while allowing at least five runs in each defeat. Miami center fielder Lewis Brinson, who went 2-for-4 Tuesday after being recalled from Triple-A New Orleans a day earlier, went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Wednesday’s loss.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), FS Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves LH Dallas Keuchel (3-4, 3.86 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Elieser Hernandez (1-4, 5.66)
Keuchel has pitched at least seven innings four times in his first nine starts since joining the Braves in late June, giving up no more than four earned runs in any outing with a 1.25 WHIP and 19 walks in 56 innings. The 31-year-old walked just one in his last start Saturday against Cincinnati, surrendering three runs on four hits with four strikeouts over seven innings but got a no-decision after Atlanta’s bullpen blew a save. Keuchel beat the Marlins in his only appearance against them this season, allowing two runs on five hits with four strikeouts across 7 1/3 innings of a 4-3 victory on July 7 in Atlanta.
Hernandez has shifted between the rotation and bullpen since being recalled from the minors in late May, and makes his third consecutive start after allowing six runs on seven hits over seven innings in his previous two starting assignments. The 24-year-old lasted just three innings in his last start Saturday against Tampa Bay, surrendering five runs with four walks and four hits allowed. Hernandez, who left-handed batters are hitting .306 against with a 1.056 OPS this season, pitched a scoreless inning of relief with one walk and two strikeouts against Atlanta on July 7.
WALK-OFFS
1. Miami 3B/RF Brian Anderson is 7-for-18 with three doubles, two homers and five runs scored in his past five games.
2. Atlanta will place rookie OF-3B Austin Riley on the injured list with a knee injury, manager Brian Snitker told reporters postgame.
3. Marlins INF-OF Jon Berti is 11-for-29 with five doubles, one triple and three RBIs in seven games since returning from the injured list on July 31, recording at least one hit in six contests.