Cleveland Guardians supervisor Terry Francona has seen lots in his 23 years as a baseball supervisor, however he is already sick of wanting on the Atlanta Braves‘ gaudy batting lineup
“I get nauseous looking at that lineup,” Francona stated Tuesday after the Guardians beat the Braves, who’ve the most effective document in baseball, 6-5 in 10 innings. “Their lineup is so deep; every inning is a grind. If you make a mistake with these guys, they can hurt you in a hurry.
Fortunately for Francona, he’ll need to look at the lineup only one more time this year when he exchanges lineup cards with Atlanta manager Brian Snitker in the rubber-game finale of this three-game series in Cleveland.
The Braves beat the Guardians 4-2 in the series opener on Monday and on Tuesday fielded a lineup that had six hitters with more than 40 RBIs. The three other batters with less than 40 RBIs have all missed significant playing time due to injury
Francona’s scrappy Guardians are a game under .500 and contending for the American League Central lead despite a lineup that is last in the league with just 56 home runs
The Braves, meanwhile, have hit 58 home runs in their last 22 games alone
Atlanta has 163 homers and is on a pace that could threaten the 2019 Minnesota Twins’ MLB record of 307 home runs in a season. Meanwhile, Braves pitchers have allowed just 91 homers
The Braves are sending all four starting infielders — first baseman Matt Olson, second baseman Ozzie Albies, shortstop Orlando Arcia and third baseman Austin Riley — to the All-Star Game on July 11 in Seattle
“That makes me really feel like a proud papa,” said Atlanta third base coach Ron Washington, who also coaches the Braves‘ infielders. “That means they’re doing the precise issues on the proper occasions. This group is a really particular one. I’m solely the map – I information them in the path we would like them to go in.
The fireworks may proceed on Wednesday as each groups ship to the mound pitchers with inflated ERAs.
Right-hander Mike Soroka (1-1, 6.89 ERA), who missed the final two seasons due to Achilles tendon accidents, will make the beginning for the Braves. He has made simply three begins this season in his newest comeback, and he has given up 5 homers in 15 2/3 innings
Soroka fared higher in his final begin, placing out seven in six innings in a 16-4 victory over the Miami Marlins, in which he was credited with the victory. Soroka has by no means confronted Cleveland in the 4 years he has pitched in the majors.
He’ll be opposed by Cleveland right-hander Cal Quantrill (2-5, 6.18), who has labored 62 2/3 innings and has performed a greater job conserving the ball in the park, having allowed seven homers. Quantrill has fared nicely in his solely two begins in opposition to Atlanta, having given up simply two earned runs over 11 2/3 innings for a 1.54 ERA.
Quantrill went on the injured checklist on June 2 with proper shoulder irritation. He lasted simply 3 1/3 innings in opposition to the Chicago Cubs on June 30, giving up eight hits and 6 runs.
– Field Level Media
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