The Atlanta Braves will look to extend their winning streak to a season-high seven games on Wednesday when they host the Miami Marlins in the second contest of their three-game series.
The Braves won the series opener 4-2 on Tuesday. The Marlins scored two runs in the ninth inning, only to have the rally end when Jakob Marsee was thrown out trying to steal third base to end the game.
The win allowed the Braves to maintain their 7 1/2-game lead over Philadelphia in the National League East. Miami had its three-game winning streak snapped and resides two games behind in the chase for the final wild-card spot.
Wednesday’s pitching matchup features a pair of right-handers: Atlanta’s Bryce Elder (7-6, 3.84 ERA) against Miami’s Eury Perez (5-8, 3.44).
Since the All-Star Game, Elder has made three starts, going 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA. In his most recent start on Friday, he threw six strong innings against the Washington Nationals, allowing one run on four hits with three strikeouts to earn the 6-2 win.
“Everybody has their struggles, but Bryce has always taken the ball and for the most part he goes out there and puts us in position to win games,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “He does it by pitching. He does it by adding and subtracting and using both sides of the plate. He’s a pitcher and he can execute pitches and that’s how he’s been successful in the major leagues.”
Elder has made 11 career starts against Miami, going 3-4 with a 3.53 ERA. He last faced the Marlins on April 15, earning the 6-3 victory after scattering four hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts.
Perez has allowed three or fewer runs in nine consecutive starts. In his most recent start against the New York Mets on Thursday, Perez threw six innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits with six strikeouts.
Still, he got no decision in the 4-2 loss. In five starts in July, he was 1-2 with a 1.69 ERA. The Marlins scored a total of six runs in four of the games. In his only win of July, Perez pitched seven perfect innings against the Athletics and was lifted before the eighth with a 9-0 lead. The Marlins held on to win 9-8.
“He was in such a great rhythm and groove, especially early on where he was striking with so many different pitches,” Miami manager Clayton McCullough said after the loss to the Mets. “We’ve seen Eury on a stretch of starts now where he’s going out there, getting strikeouts, limiting hard contact, aggressively in the zone with a lot of different pitches.”
Perez has never beaten Atlanta, going 0-2 with a 10.67 ERA in four career starts. He faced the Braves on April 13 and did not receive a decision in the 10-4 win after allowing four runs (three earned) in four innings.
The Braves activated shortstop Ha-Seong Kim and catcher Sean Murphy from the injured list on Tuesday, but neither was in the starting lineup in the series opener.
Kim missed 25 games with right middle finger inflammation and hit .241 during a 25-game rehab stint across three major league levels.
Murphy has been out since May 11 with a fractured left middle finger. He batted .381 in six rehab games with Triple-A Gwinnett.
Both teams used one of its newly acquired players on Tuesday.
Atlanta’s Lane Thomas pinch-hit, reached on an error and scored ahead of Austin Riley’s home run in the seventh.
Miami’s Victor Vodnik pitched the eighth inning and allowed one run.
–Field Level Media
