Friday is another opportunity for Braves right-hander Ian Anderson.
Anderson is coming off one of the better starts in his young career, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Brewers. He threw a career-high 110 pitches. On Friday, he’ll face the Pirates, a rebuilding team without much of an offensive punch - though it didn’t look that way Thursday, when they defeated the Braves, 6-4, in extra innings.
A noteworthy discovery from MLB statistician Sarah Langs (SlangsOnSports): Anderson faced Milwaukee’s Brett Anderson in his last start and will face Pittsburgh’s Tyler Anderson Thursday. It will be the first time in the modern era that a pitcher faces different pitchers with the same last name as him in back-to-back starts. That’s a lot of Andersons.
The Braves’ Anderson has allowed one or no runs in four of his eight starts entering Thursday. This is a prime chance for him to string together strong starts and perhaps pitch deeper into a game. His team could use a gem, too, after losing for the fourth time in five games. The Braves are 20-24 overall with a 10-14 mark at Truist Park, which is the worst home record in the National League.
Braves Lineup: The AJC presents a daily look at one thing to know about the Atlanta Braves today.
