The Braves lost their series finale to the Rockies, meaning their quest for .500 will have to wait.
On the plus side: Chris Sale put forth his first Chris Sale-like start of the season, striking out 10 in seven innings of two-run ball.
An encouraging sign for the reigning Cy Young winner, no doubt — and Atlanta needs all the positivity it can muster with a big weekend ahead.
THE SERIES AHEAD
No game today. But the mighty Dodgers (21-10) loom.
📺 How to watch: Friday’s 7:15 p.m. first pitch is on FanDuel Sports and PeachtreeTV. Saturday’s 7:15 p.m. first pitch is on Fox. Sunday’s game starts at 7:10 p.m. on ESPN.
🥳 Featured festivities: Friday’s affair includes pregame music and postgame fireworks.
On Sunday, the first 3,000 kids get a deck of Ozzie Albies “Go Fish” playing cards.
⚾ The starters: In order, we’re looking at Grant Holmes vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto; Spencer Schwellenbach vs. Roki Sasaki; and Bryce Elder vs. Dustin May.
OUT FOR REVENGE
The Dodgers, of course, played a pretty big hand in the Braves’ 0-7 start to the season.
The second series of the year was in L.A., and Atlanta lost all three games in unpleasant fashion: the first two via anemic offense, the finale with a blown 5-0 lead and a Shohei Ohtani walk-off.
“I don’t wish this on anybody, honestly,” manager Brian Snitker said at the time.
The Braves, of course, have gotten their act together a bit since then. And the Dodgers have shown they’re (sort of) human — going 13-10 since their 8-0 start.
For L.A., some of that’s fueled by pitching injuries: Tyler Glasnow (shoulder inflammation) just joined Blake Snell and several relievers on the injured list.
- Ohtani, if you’re wondering, isn’t expected to start pitching until after the All-Star break.
But there’s also an interest home/road split to consider: The Dodgers are 15-3 in the friendly confines of Chavez Ravine. Everywhere else? 6-7.
KIMBREL AND KELENIC
The AJC’s Gabe Burns visited the Gwinnett Stripers on Wednesday to catch up with two players on different ends of their Braves journeys.
🗣️ Craig Kimbrel, the long-ago Atlanta closer, said it’s cool to be back with the franchise where it all started. But his comeback attempt ain’t about nostalgia.
“I’m not coming back here for a last hurrah or trying to have one more good year. I view this offseason as having a reset because I feel I can still do this. Not just this year, but for a couple more years.”
- Kimbrel has put good numbers up in seven minor league appearances, including a Wednesday night save. There’s no timetable for a promotion.
🗣️ Jarred Kelenic, meanwhile, is trying to make the most of his recent demotion. The offensively challenged outfielder hopes a reset serves him well.
“Just getting consistent at-bats is going to really help get me into a groove. Go down, get at-bats and get going, that’s how I’m looking at it. That’s when baseball is fun, when you’re in a groove and you know you can play.”
- Kelenic went 2-for-4 and scored a run in his Stripers debut. Both hits were singles.
RIVAL WATCH
It’s poor form to look at the standings until at least Memorial Day … but the Braves (13-15) now sit in the middle of the NL East. Not in the cellar. Which is nice.
Here’s what everyone else is up to.
🚽 The Mets (21-10) keep on rolling. Former Brave reliever A.J. Minter might need season-ending surgery on a strained lat.
🔔 The Phillies (17-13) have won four straight and are set to get starter Ranger Suarez back this weekend.
🪰 The Nationals (13-18) are stumbling along. But young star James Woods is cooking at the plate.
🎣 The Marlins (12-18) unveiled their new City Connect uniforms. Decent work, but the hat feels like a bit much.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
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Until next time.
About the Author
Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
