MLB Game Preview - Atlanta at Miami
Fri Aug 9, 2019 7:10 PM EDT

OAK
7
CHW
0
F
HOU
3
BAL
2
F
NYY
2
TOR
8
F
ATL
8
MIA
4
F
WSH
6
NYM
7
F
CHC
2
CIN
5
F
KC
2
DET
5
F
LAA
4
BOS
16
F
CLE
6
MIN
2
F
TEX
5
MIL
6
F
PIT
2
STL
6
F
COL
1
SD
7
F
TB
5
SEA
3
F
ARI
3
LAD
2
F(11)
PHI
9
SF
6
F
Braves seek rebound vs. Marlins behind Teheran
Fri Aug 9, 2019 12:31 PM

After a highly surprising loss against the host Miami Marlins (+1.5) on Thursday night, the Atlanta Braves are sending what appears to be the perfect man to the mound to repair the damage and get things back on track for the second game of the series on Friday.

That would be right-hander Julio Teheran (6-7, 3.46 ERA), who has pitched 18 scoreless innings against the Marlins this season.

Teheran hopes to quickly erase the taste from Thursday, from Atlanta's perspective, as the Braves were embarrassed 9-2 by the Marlins, who have the worst record in the National League and entered on a six-game losing streak.

The Braves, who lead the NL East, trailed 9-0 before scoring in the eighth.

Brian Anderson was Miami's biggest star, going 3-for-4 with two homers and three RBIs. Anderson, in his second full year in the majors, has increased his homer total from 11 as a rookie to 20 so far this season.

"He's extremely talented," Mattingly said of Anderson, who is listed at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds. "I think he's going to get bigger and stronger. His confidence continues to grow. He's on track to hit (25 homers), and that's a big step."

Teheran, who is 8-6 with a 3.72 ERA in 23 career starts against the Marlins, will be opposed by Marlins left-hander Caleb Smith (7-5, 3.35 ERA).

Smith, who is 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA in three career starts against the Braves, leads Miami in wins and tops the rotation in ERA. This season against the Braves, he is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two starts.

Marlins Park has been good to Smith this season. He is 5-1 with a 2.66 ERA at spacious Marlins Park.

However, barring any rest days for the hitters, Smith is likely to face a Braves batting order that is particularly stacked in the first four spots -- Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies, Freddie Freeman and Josh Donaldson. Those four hitters have a combined 102 homers.

"It's a dangerous first four," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "There's speed, there's power. Those guys will also take their walks."

The first four batters in Miami's lineup came up bigger on Thursday, as leadoff man Jon Berti went 3-for-5 with two RBIs; Starlin Castro went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs; Anderson had the first multi-homer game of his career; and Garrett Cooper went 2-for-5. The four of them combined for eight RBIs -- seven more than Atlanta's foursome.

Berti is hitting .406 over his past seven games, and Castro joins Robinson Cano of the New York Mets (+1.5) as the only middle infielders in the majors to hit double figures in homers every year since 2011.

Still, Anderson has become Miami's biggest weapon. After hitting 11 homers in 590 at-bats as a rookie last year, he has 20 in 412 at-bats this year. His OPS is up from .757 to .801.

Anderson got off to a slow start this year -- an OPS under .700 for the first two months. But he hit .301 with six homers and a .972 OPS in June and has been rolling ever since.

"I was still hitting the ball hard," Anderson said of his early-season struggles. "I wasn't striking out more than normal. I was just hitting the ball right at guys."

--Field Level Media

Team Record Comparison

Team Standings GB W-L Aw/Hm Stk L10
Atlanta            
Miami            

Scheduled Starting Pitchers

Julio Teheran - (N/A)
Matchup
Season
vs. Opp Has not pitched vs. Miami
Caleb Smith - PIT
Matchup
Season
vs. Opp Has not pitched vs. Atlanta

Hot Batters (Last 10 team games)

Injury Report

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