Braves Preview: Atlanta looks to rebound in finale with White Sox
The Atlanta Braves are a win away from clinching a 12th consecutive series win, facing the Chicago White Sox in the finale of a three-game set on Sunday.
After handily taking game one, Atlanta fell short in game two despite two home runs from Ronald Acuña Jr.
The Braves head into Sunday hoping to get back in the win column, and maintain the large lead in the NL East.
What to watch for in Sunday’s game
Runners in stranded position
Despite matching Chicago’s 11 hits and hitting three homers on the night, the Braves struggled to get guys across the plate when it mattered the most.
Atlanta finished the night 2-10 with runners in scoring position, capped off by leaving the bases loaded in the eighth, and runners on the corners in the ninth.
After leaving so many chances to take this the game from the White Sox, the Braves will be hungry to create some offense early and often on Sunday.
Kolby’s cups of coffee
What started as a spot start back in June, has turned into a lengthy stay with the big league club for Kolby Allard.
The 25-year old year old lefty has made two starts this year, allowing three earned runs over those two appearances with 11 strikeouts. He made a short relief appearance in a loss to Tampa before the All-Star break.
With the bullpen thinning, and Max Fried on the path back to Atlanta, Kolby needs a strong performance in the finale to keep some sort of role with this team down the stretch.
Eddie’s terrible, no good, very bad day
Despite the third inning home run, Eddie Rosario’s day will be briefly remembered for some rough defensive play in left field.
Misplayed balls led to some traffic, and eventually, runs that led Chicago to victory. Eddie was later removed due to left hamstring tightness per the team.
It’s unclear whether Rosario will be in the lineup on Sunday, injury or not, but if he is, a nice bounce back game would make everyone forget about Rosario’s outfield adventures.