The Braves open their series in Cleveland with a Saturday doubleheader following Friday’s rainout.
Here’s what to know about the Indians:
1. This is only the Braves' second trip to Cleveland, surprisingly. They took two of three from the Indians in June 2017. John Smoltz was the last Braves pitcher to win a game in Northeast Ohio, defeating current Braves analyst Paul Byrd.
2. The Braves have faced the Indians only 12 times, the fewest amount of games against one opponent in franchise history. They've twice met in the World Series: The Indians defeated the Braves in 1948, four games to two. The Braves topped Cleveland in six for their only Atlanta-era championship in 1995.
3. Francisco Lindor, the Indians' All-Star shortstop, returned from the injured list Saturday. Lindor spent the first few weeks of the season rehabbing from a right-calf strain and left-ankle sprain. The 25-year-old wasn't in the Game 1 lineup.
4. Cleveland was 11-7 entering Saturday, two games better than the Braves, and it's played well at home. The Tribe is 5-1 at its home venue, splitting with the White Sox and four-game sweeping Toronto. The Indians have won 294 home games since 2013, second-most in MLB (Dodgers, 311).
5. The Indians are aiming for their fourth consecutive American League Central title. They've won 91-plus games each season in that span, including 102 in 2017. Cleveland won the AL pennant in 2016, falling to the Cubs in a seven-game World Series.
