The Atlanta Braves started August by way of recording 3 lopsided victories ahead of seeing their fortunes alternate throughout the early portion in their 11-game street shuttle
The Braves will glance to rebound from 4 losses of their ultimate six contests as they open a four-game collection in opposition to the host New York Mets on Friday
Whilst Atlanta is going through some resistance, the similar most probably cannot be stated for Matt Olson. The slugger belted his career-best fortieth homer of the season Thursday in a 7-5 setback to the Pittsburgh Pirates, tying Los Angeles Angels two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani for the major-league lead
“It is a just right, blank quantity. It is a type of milestone numbers, however expectantly there is extra,” Olson instructed Bally Sports activities South. “(I can) revel in it for a 2d and get again to paintings day after today.
“It isn’t even the second one week of August and we’ve got a (40-homer, 100-RBI) man,” Braves supervisor Brian Snitker stated. “That is wonderful what he has executed. Kinda quietly too. This man is having as just right of a yr as any one within the sport.
Atlanta’s Charlie Morton (10-10, 3.86 ERA) will take the mound within the collection opener in opposition to New York’s Tylor Megill (6-5, 5.45) in a fight of right-handers
Morton, 39, dropped his fourth instantly get started on Sunday after permitting 5 runs and 4 walks in 4 1/3 innings of a 6-4 setback to the Chicago Cubs
Morton is 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA in two begins this season in opposition to New York. He’s 4-6 with a three.99 ERA in 20 profession video games (19 begins) vs. the Mets
Megill is aware of a factor or two about struggles, as he returned from a less-than-stellar stint at Triple-A Syracuse with a difficult trip on Saturday. Despite the fact that his speed used to be up, the result used to be a down efficiency after the 6-foot-7 hurler yielded 5 runs on 9 hits — together with two homers — in 4 2/3 innings of a 7-3 setback to the Baltimore Orioles
“The large factor we are running on used to be simply the fastball,” Megill stated, in step with the Bergen Report. “Previous within the yr, the whole lot used to be sinking, so coming down into barrels and lots of the major objectives had been tips on how to get it again and driving throughout the zone and staying true. I believe we are at a actually just right state, and it is gradually getting higher every trip.
Megill, 28, is 1-1 with a 4.02 ERA in seven profession appearances in opposition to Atlanta. He won a no-decision vs. the Braves on Would possibly 1 after permitting 3 runs on 4 hits in 5 2/3 innings
Pete Alonso homered for the fourth time in a three-game collection in opposition to the Cubs throughout the Mets‘ 4-3 win on Wednesday. He’s 5-for-10 with 10 RBIs and 4 runs over the past 3 contests
“I went via a actually unhealthy patch this yr and it used to be unquestionably the worst of my big-league profession,” Alonso stated. “I used to be wholesome, however we play a sport of failure, and the regulation of averages are beginning to leap again in my prefer.
Alonso has two homers amongst his 3 hits within the season collection in opposition to Atlanta. The Braves, alternatively, have gained 5 of the six conferences in 2023
–Box Stage Medi