Braves begin NL East title defense Thursday afternoon
The Braves are taking the field for the first time Thursday afternoon, opening a three-game series with the Phillies.
“Everybody’s excited,” manager Brian Snitker said. “We’ve been excited. It’s beautiful out here, couldn’t ask for a nicer day. We had a good spring training. Everybody’s in good shape. We’re anxious to get after it again.”
Julio Teheran makes his sixth consecutive opening-day start, equaling Warren Spahn for the franchise record. He’ll oppose Aaron Nola, who broke out as the Phillies ace a season ago.
The Braves’ lineup was as expected: Ender Inciarte leads off, followed by the big three of Josh Donaldson, Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuna. Nick Markakis, who handled clean-up duties in 2018, drops to fifth. Ozzie Albies, Brian McCann and Dansby Swanson round out the 6-7-8.
“It’s a long lineup,” Snitker said. “These guys all have offensive capabilities. They’ve all been productive major-league hitters. It’s a really good lineup, and I’m excited about it.”
About the Author
Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.
