After a positive series hosting the Cubs, the Braves hope to get off to a good start in game 1 hosting the Red Sox. Spencer Strider starts for the Braves, hoping to continue his strong start in LA. The Red Sox will counter with Connelly Early.
The Red Sox have not had a great start to the season, emphasized by them cleaning house in their coaching staff. They are sitting in last place in the AL East at 18-24, with injury and performance issues abound. They rank 16th in MLB batting fWAR and 19th in pitching,
though they are tied for the lead with the Cubs in fielding. This is a series the Braves should win at home and winning the first game always makes things easier.
Strider had a rough go of it at Coors Field after looking quite good in his last couple of rehab starts. He then came out and struck out 8 batters over 6.0 scoreless innings against the Dodgers, walking only 2. His fastball looked good at 96.5 MPH and good life, with his slider working and his curveball and changeup mixed in with effectiveness. Let’s hope that the Coors experience was an altitude-induced aberration and that version of Spencer Strider we saw in LA last weekend is the new normal.
Connelly Early is a fun name, but has also been a highly-touted prospect and has been a solid major-league starter in his short career. The 24-year-old lefty has a 3.28 FIP and 3.70 xFIP over 62.0 career MLB innings, with 9.87 K/9 and 3.19 BB/9. He struck out nearly 12 batters per 9 innings in the minors, but that walk rate is about in line with his minor league number, as he is also a solid ground-ball pitcher. Early features a six-pitch mix with average velocity, but good extension and movement on everything except for his slider. He throws his lively four-seamer a third of the time, with a good changeup and sinker each making up another 20% of his pitches and the slider, a sweeper, and curveball mixed in the rest of the time. Early has the looks of a good middle-rotation starter, despite his poor contact quality allowed so far this season. The Braves’ lineup is weird against lefties right now, as it is a pretty lefty-heavy lineup without Ronald Acuna, but Drake Baldwin absolutely rakes against lefties so far in his career and Ozzie gets to bat righty, which is always a good thing.
This game is heavily dependent on which version of Spencer Strider shows up, although Early is a quality arm to face for the Braves’ offense.
Game Info
Game Time: Friday, May 15, 7:15 p.m. ET
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA.
Watch: BravesVision
Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan
