The Atlanta Braves took game one of the series against the surprisingly good Pittsburg Pirates last night and look to take the series today.
Braxton Ashcraft has been one of the key reasons the Pirates have a winning record. Not only does he have a 2.77 ERA, but he has an ERA of 1.97 in away games this season. The Braves are going to have have their work cut out for them. Ashcraft’s underlying metrics shows that his output has been no fluke with an expected ERA (xERA) of 2.78.
Spencer Strider struggled
a bit in his last outing giving up three earned runs in 5.0 innings, but he did have eight strikeouts to only two walks. If he can limit the hits today, it would go a long way towards a win for the Braves.
This game may come down to the bullpens. Follow along in the comments below.
First pitch is at 4:10 EDT.
