A pair of pitchers intent on continuing hot starts to the season will face off Sunday when the host Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves close out a three-game series.
While the Dodgers send left-hander Justin Wrobleski (5-0, 1.25 ERA) to the mound, the Braves will counter with right-hander Bryce Elder (3-1, 2.02).
After the Dodgers won the series opener Friday, the Braves rolled to a 7-2 victory Saturday and were two outs away from handing Los Angeles its second shutout of the season.
Wrobleski was the sixth starter in waiting for the Dodgers when the season began, and he did not make his debut in the rotation until April 6 in the 10th game of the season. Since then, he has led the charge by allowing just two total runs over his five starts (32 innings).
Wrobleski delivered six scoreless innings in a start last Sunday at St. Louis.
When left-hander Blake Snell returned to the Dodgers rotation this weekend, it was right-hander Roki Sasaki that had his schedule rearranged. Wrobleski remained locked into his planned outing Sunday.
“I think I’m doing a good job of understanding who I am, understanding the game and where we’re at, understanding the hitter and the situation,” said Wrobleski, who has yet to face the Braves since making his MLB debut in 2024.
Even with his new-found success, Wrobleski still sees areas for improvement after he did not record a strikeout in his most recent outing. He has 15 strikeouts in 36 total innings this season.
“Some days you’re not going to get strikeouts. Some months you’re not going to get strikeouts. Some days you’re going to get a lot,” Wrobleski said. “… Just keep moving forward and I’m sure the strikeouts will come.”
Elder, on the other hand, is coming off a season-high nine strikeouts during a no-decision Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners. He gave up two runs over six innings as Atlanta finished off a 3-2 victory.
In keeping with his overall plan, Elder kept the Braves in the game at Seattle long enough for Atlanta’s offense to finally push across the go-ahead run in the ninth inning.
“I’m trying to go six or seven (innings),” Elder said. “Obviously I’m not going to every time out, but I’m just trying to keep the game progressing. If I give up a homer or whatever, that’s fine. I’m just trying to keep us in the game.”
Elder is trying to avoid the same fate he realized in 2023, when he had a 1.92 ERA through the end of May only to post a 4.95 ERA the rest of the way.
In five career starts against the Dodgers, he is 1-1 with a 5.18 ERA, including a pair of starts last season when he was 1-0 with a 5.00 ERA.
In their relatively easy victory Saturday, the Braves received two-run singles from Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson in the second inning as Snell made his season debut after recovering from shoulder inflammation.
A victory Sunday would give the Braves the series win after they just lost two of three at Seattle to drop a series for the first time this season.
–Field Level Media
