White Sox at Braves
Ozzie Albies has been one of several Atlanta Braves hitters who have struggled recently, but the second baseman hopes to have broken out of his slump entering Saturday’s home game against the Chicago White Sox. Albies came into Friday’s series opener with just nine hits in his past 65 at-bats but went 4-for-5 with two runs scored, two doubles and a RBI in a 10-7 victory, helping lift the National League East leaders to their 10th victory in the past 12 games.
Albies collected his first multi-hit game since Aug. 10 and had help from another struggling hitter in the series opener as catcher Tyler Flowers, hitting just .230 on the season and .203 since the All-Star break, went 2-for-3 with a homer - his first blast since Aug. 4 - a double, two runs scored and three RBIs. The Braves' offense has exploded after scoring only 18 runs in a six-game span, plating 19 runs on 24 hits in their past two contests. The White Sox lost their fourth straight game and fell to 27-39 on the road, finishing with just seven hits. The big offensive highlight came from pinch hitter Wellington Castillo, whose three-run homer in the seventh temporarily sliced Atlanta’s lead to one run, giving him three homers and 10 RBIs in his past 13 games.
TV: 7:20 p.m. ET, NBCS Chicago, FS South (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Reynaldo Lopez (8-11, 5.08 ERA) vs. Braves LH Dallas Keuchel (5-5, 3.78)
Lopez’s first three starts of the season were a mess as he surrendered 18 earned runs on 22 hits with 12 walks in 13 1/3 innings, but he has steadily lowered his ERA in 24 starts since (a 4.40 ERA in that span). The 25-year-old pitched five hitless innings Sunday against Texas with two walks and six strikeouts before leaving with dehydration and flu-like symptoms, marking the eighth time in his past nine starts he has allowed three earned runs or fewer. Lopez is 4-3 with a 2.82 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in nine starts since the All-Star break and 3-6 with a 5.48 ERA and 1.50 WHIP on the road for the season.
Keuchel has been very stingy since giving up eight runs to Miami on Aug. 8, allowing just one run on 15 hits in 19 innings across his past three starts with 21 strikeouts and seven walks in that span. The 31-year-old shut out the New York Mets on four hits across seven innings Sunday, walking three while recording his third consecutive outing with seven strikeouts. Keuchel made nine career starts against the White Sox while with Houston (4-4, 3.49 ERA), giving up two runs in 13 innings across two starts last season.
WALK-OFFS
1. White Sox OF Jon Jay was placed on the injured list with a right hip strain, and OF Ryan Cordell was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte.
2. Atlanta 3B Josh Donaldson, who came into the weekend seventh in the NL with 80 walks, drew four more Friday.
3. Chicago LF Eloy Jimenez, who began the series in a 6-for-30 slump, went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in the opener.