The Atlanta Braves continue to inch closer to the National League East crown.
With a magic number of five, Atlanta (89-63) will turn to a rookie in search of a series win in Chicago against the Cubs on Wednesday. J.R. Ritchie (1-2, 4.50 ERA) will get the nod for the Braves.
Replacing injured Reynaldo Lopez on the roster, Ritchie is back with the big league club for the first time since Aug. 2. He allowed two runs on four hits in four innings that day, striking out four and walking three in a 4-2 win against the Washington Nationals. He did not figure into the decision.
The Wednesday game will be his second career appearance against the Cubs. In a 4-1 win on May 13, he took a no-decision after yielding one run on two hits in 4 1/3 innings. The 23-year-old struck out four and walked three.
While Atlanta closes in on its first division title since 2023, its manager isn’t concerning himself with anything but the next day.
“It’s just good to win games,” Walt Weiss said. “That’s what it comes down to. We just need to take care of our business and just try to stack wins. I’m sure you guys will let me know when we get to clinching something.”
The Braves got two-run homers from Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies and Drake Baldwin to beat the Cubs 6-3 on Tuesday. Atlanta fell 7-3 in the series opener on Monday.
Chicago’s (84-68) loss clinched the NL Central for the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs are a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies (83-68) for the top NL wild-card spot.
Shota Imanaga (10-10, 3.88 ERA) will have a chance to win three straight starts for the first time this season when he takes the mound for Chicago on Wednesday. After posting a 5.96 ERA in five starts in August, the left-hander has surrendered just three runs across 12 innings in his last two appearances — both wins.
Imanaga tossed six innings of two-run, five-hit ball, striking out four and walking two in a 12-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.
“In the first inning, I thought Shota was uncomfortable, frankly,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said of Imanaga’s last start. “Then as the second went on, it got a little better, and then I thought in the third inning, he dialed it in and started to get really good. Sometimes you’ve got to weather the storm for that first inning after not being on the mound for five days.”
Imanaga will be making his 30th start of the season, the most in his three major-league seasons. As he prepares for another go-round in the postseason, Imanaga likes where he stands in the Cubs’ rotation.
“I’m confident in where I’m at right now compared to the last two years,” Imanaga said through his translator. “I think my body feels a lot stronger and the adjustments in the training I do between starts is paying off. I just want to continue to make sure my body feels strong and I’m healthy enough to pitch well in the postseason.”
After making 25 regular-season starts last year, Imanaga allowed six runs in 6 2/3 innings over two games in the playoffs, both losses.
Imanaga is 1-2 with a 3.00 ERA in four career starts against the Braves. He faced Ritchie and Atlanta on May 13 and allowed two runs on five hits across seven innings. The 33-year-old struck out six and walked none in the 4-1 loss. He was charged with the loss.
–Field Level Media
