Evan Gattis vs. Marlins
The Marlins will have had five days to figure out what to do with Evan Gattis before they see him again on Tuesday night in Miami. Good luck with that.
That Gattis delivered the decisive hits in the Braves’ two victories against Miami at Turner Field last week is hardly coincidence. The Braves’ catcher regularly torments the Marlins, hitting .370 with seven doubles and four homers in 13 career games (46 at-bats). His 10th-inning two-run homer off Arquimedes Caminero Monday night beat the Marlins 4-2 and his pinch-hit two-out double off A.J. Romero scored two in the eighth inning for a 3-1 win on Wednesday.
It won’t get any easier for the Marlins just because they have him in their home park. In his seven games in Marlins Park, Gattis hit .333 with four doubles and three homers for 12 RBIs in just 30 at-bats.
Since Gattis joined the Braves last season, Atlanta has scored 90 against the Marlins. Gattis either scored or drove in almost a quarter of them.
Brandon Belt vs. Braves
The Giants’ offense has been irregular. Entering the weekend, they ranked 25th in the majors in batting (.234) and 21st in on-base percentage.
When the Giants report to Turner Field for a three-game series next weekend, Angel Pagan, Hunter Pence and Buster Posey will again comprise a genuine offensive threat. But fourth-year first baseman Brandon Belt has done more than his share to shore up offense while the rest of the lineup seeks its momentum.
Through San Francisco’s first 22 games, Belt hit .299 while leading the team in homers (7), sharing the lead for runs scored (14) and ranking second in RBIs (17). The homer total is noteworthy. After hitting a career-high 17 homers last season, he could match that by the All-Star break at this rate.
At 6 feet 5 and handy with his glove, Belt drew comparisons to Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman as they ascended through the minors. Freeman has already made his first NL All-Star team. Rivalry anyone?
