Last Updated on April 15, 2016 4:10 pm by Brad Burns
Will Marlins hand Braves 10th straight L?
Staring at the prospect of an historically bad start, Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez is willing to do just about anything at this juncture. That includes sitting the team’s one recognizable All-Star.
Freddie Freeman yielded first base to Kelly Johnson last night, but the end result fell right in line with the rest of an atrocious season to date. Gonzalez’s group succumbed to the Nationals, 6-2, tallying one extra-base hit.
Matters won’t get any easier this evening. The Braves travel to Marlins Park for the opener of a three-game set vs. another NL East rival. According to online sports book BetDSI, Miami typifies a 1.5-run favorite to ensure Atlanta’s first 0-10 beginning since 1988.
Starter Williams Perez will try to help avoid such ignominy. He required 83 pitches to survive 4 2/3 innings of Sunday’s 12-7 defeat to St. Louis, permitting four runs and three base knocks while walking three. The young righty also struggled against the Marlins in September.
Meanwhile, Miami (3-4) aims to shake off its own early languor. Wei-Yin Chin, who took a line drive off the elbow in his initial assignment, receives the ball here. He’ll be backed by an offense that’s still striving for consistency, even though center fielder Christian Yelich (.391 in 23 at-bats) remains on the ascent.
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Don Mattingly’s squad targets an eighth consecutive triumph over the Braves, who are hitting .196 with a .269 slugging percentage. Chin’s week-plus layoff probably means spotty command at the outset, however, allowing the visitors a window to make things more competitive than usual.
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