Marlins at Braves
Freddie Freeman entered Tuesday hitless in his past 12 at-bats, but the Atlanta Braves first baseman always enjoys facing the Miami Marlins and entering Wednesday's middle contest of a three-game home series, his brief slump is over. Freeman finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored, homered twice and drove in four runs as the Braves captured the series opener 5-1, raising his career average in 160 games against the Marlins to .301 with 29 homers and 93 RBIs.
Freeman’s big night gives him 33 homers and 102 RBIs on the season and provided the offensive support the Braves needed to improve to 5-2 on their current nine-game homestand, move a season-high 23 games above .500, and increase their lead in the National League East to six games over Washington. Atlanta right fielder Matt Joyce added two hits Tuesday and is batting .365 in 15 starts this season with at least one hit in each game. Miami right fielder Brian Anderson continued his hot August by going 3-for-3, and in 18 games this month is hitting .368 with four homers, 13 RBIs and 11 runs scored. Third baseman Starlin Castro extended his hitting streak against the Braves to nine games with two hits, but Miami lost for the 13th time in 17 meetings with Atlanta this season and overall has dropped seven of its past eight games.
TV: 7:20 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Miami), FS Southeast (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins LH Caleb Smith (8-6, 3.63 ERA) vs. Braves RH Julio Teheran (7-8, 3.71)
Smith has established himself as the most consistent of the Marlins’ promising young pitchers, holding opponents to a .205 batting average with a 1.09 WHIP and 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings through 20 starts. The 28-year-old gave up one run on one hit with four strikeouts over five innings to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, rebounding from a rough start against the Braves six days earlier in which he surrendered six runs on 10 hits across 4 2/3 innings. Smith is 1-1 in three starts against Atlanta this season, allowing 12 earned runs in 16 2/3 innings but with 17 strikeouts.
Teheran seeks to move on from one of the worst starts of his career Thursday against the New York Mets, during which he retired only four hitters while allowing six runs on eight hits with three walks and throwing 64 pitches. The 28-year-old has been stellar since the beginning of May, allowing more than two earned runs in just four of his previous 19 starts while posting a 3.07 ERA and eight homers allowed in 99 2/3 innings. Teheran is 2-0 with a 0.36 ERA in four starts against Miami this season, giving up one run on 14 hits over 25 innings with six walks and 22 strikeouts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Atlanta CF Billy Hamilton went 0-for-2 and finished the game in center field in his Braves debut Tuesday, one day after being claimed off waivers from Kansas City.
2. Miami 1B Garrett Cooper finished 0-for-4 on Tuesday, ending his hitting streak at nine games.
3. Braves C Brian McCann was removed after three innings with left knee soreness and will be examined Wednesday.