The Atlanta Braves will try to give manager Brian Snitker his 800th career win when they host the Chicago Cubs to open a three-game series on Monday.
Since taking over as interim manager of the club on May 17, 2016, Snitker’s record is 799-661. Only Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers has more victories during that stretch. Snitker has the third-most wins in franchise history, trailing only Hall of Famers Bobby Cox (2,149 wins) and Frank Selee (1,004 from 1890-1901 when the franchise was in Boston).
The Cubs (81-62) won two of three games these squads played last week in Chicago, with both victories coming by one run. Chicago has not won a season series against Atlanta since going 6-1 against the Braves in 2017.
The Braves (64-79) lost two of three against Seattle over the weekend and were outscored 28-4 over the final two games. Atlanta has dropped seven of its last 10 games.
Chicago lost two of three games to Washington in their weekend series and went 3-3 on their homestand.
The pitching matchups for the opener feature Atlanta’s Bryce Elder (6-9, 5.54 ERA) against Chicago’s Shota Imanaga (9-6, 3.15).
Elder will be making his 25th start of the season and is coming off three consecutive starts where he’s worked to a 1.35 ERA with 15 strikeouts over 20 innings. He has allowed only four walks and one home run over that stretch. He faced the Cubs on Wednesday and beat them 5-1 by allowing one run (unearned) over seven innings.
“Even though I was giving up runs there for a little while, I talked about kind of my job here is just to keep eating innings,” Elder said. “If I give up some runs and then make it into the sixth or seventh, I did my job. I gave us a chance. Now I’ve been making pitches like I was and I’m getting some breaks and making more pitches when I need to. I’m happy about being able to go seven again.”
Elder has made three career starts against the Cubs, going 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA in 15 innings. He was originally scheduled to start Tuesday’s game but was moved up a day when the Braves opted to move struggling starter Spencer Strider from Sunday to Tuesday.
Imanaga will make his 22nd start. He won his last start on Tuesday against the Braves. Imanaga pitched six innings and allowed three runs on five hits — two of them homers — with five strikeouts and one walk.
“All my teammates had my back,” Imanaga said afterward. “They covered for me. There were countless plays, amazing plays that they made.”
Imanaga has made two career starts against the Braves, going 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 11 innings.
Atlanta right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. continues to struggle at the plate. He went 0-for-2 on Sunday and is hitless in his last 25 at-bats, the longest streak of his 3career. Acuna has just three extra-base hits and 23 strikeouts since returning from the injured list on Aug. 15.
The Cubs have been short-handed in the outfield. Kyle Tucker has not played since Tuesday because of left calf soreness and Pete Crow-Armstrong did not play Sunday after leaving Saturday’s game after fouling a ball off his right knee.
–Field Level Media
