Preview: New York Yankees Face Atlanta Braves In First Series Post All-Star Break
This preview of the Yankees against the Braves series is hard for a Yankees fan to write because the Braves have a chance, even though the Yankees are narrow favorites. To preview the series, we do not know who will start the first game for the Yankees yet because of the blister on Max Fried’s finger.
He should start the first game of the second half, but he has not yet been inked in because of his injury. Aside from Spencer Strider, the Braves have not announced starting pitchers for games two and three of the series. Do you think it would be difficult to review games when one does not know who is pitching?
Preview of Yankees-Braves Pitching
The only thing we know about the starting pitching in the Yankees-Braves series that will be played from July 18-20 in Atlanta. It is the first series of both teams after the All-Star break. As far as a pitching preview goes, we only know that the Braves are going to start Strider in the first game of the series.
The rest of the starters for the series have not been announced. Strider is 3-7 with a 3.94 earned run average. He has been the victim of poor run support this season because his earned run average is pretty good.
The rest of the starting pitchers for this series have not been named. The problem with the Yankees is that Fried should be starting the first game, and Carlos Rodon should be starting the second game. However, the blister on the index fingers of Fried’s throwing hand may need some more time to heal. We are not sure what the Brave’s issue is, probably injuries.
It may not matter. Most games are decided by the bullpen. The Braves’ bullpen is slightly better than the Yankees’ with a 3.55 earned run average, compared to the Yankees’ 4.08 earned run average. Of note, the Yankees’ bullpen has been bad lately, though Closer Devin Williams has been good. It is rumored that the Yankees will buy assets to improve their bullpen at the trade deadline.
Some Other Braves-Yankees Statistics Of Note
In terms of a preview of how hot, or not, the teams are, the Yankees are 5-5 in their last 10 games, and the Braves are 3-7. One can get a preview of how the series will go based on how the teams have done in their recent games. The Yankees are one game under .500 at 23-24 on the road so far this season. The Braves are two games over .500 at home so far this season at 24-22.
In terms of a batting preview, the Yankees have 254 home runs and a .254 team batting average. The Braves have a .244 team batting average and 209 home runs. The Yankees have an advantage here, though they have been inconsistent.
Braves Injuries
No preview would be complete without the story of the Braves’ lack of success this season, which is the devastating injuries they have suffered to key players. Just when they seemed to start to get healthy, they suffered more serious injuries. Probably the best thing to do at this time is simply to list the current injuries of the Braves. The Braves have eleven players who are currently injured.
Pitcher Chris Sale is on the 60-day injured list. So are pitchers Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo Lopez, AJ Smith-Shaver, and Joe Jimenez. Starter Hayden Harris is just listed as out. Pitcher Ian Anderson is on the 10-day injured list. As far as position players go, Jose Devers is on the 10-day injured list, and so is Austin Riley. Starting Pitchers Owen Murphy and Zach Thompson are both day-to-day.
Conclusion
This series will be played in Atlanta on Friday, July 18, at 7:15 p.m. The teams will also match up on Saturday, July 19, at 7:15 p.m. They will play a day game on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. It will be hot in Atlanta on a July afternoon.
