Braves vs Giants opens Friday at Oracle Park with Atlanta carrying a 10-losses-in-13-games stretch into a three-game series. The Braves still arrive at 48-31, while the Giants are 33-47 and trying to steady a month that sits at 10-11.
Reynaldo Lopez Gets Friday Start
Reynaldo Lopez is lined up to start Friday at 7:15pm PT for Atlanta, giving the Braves a 3.50 ERA arm in the series opener. Bryce Elder is scheduled for Saturday at 6:05pm PT, and Chris Sale is set for Sunday at 1:05pm PT, so Atlanta can match the Giants across the three-game set with a rotation that has three different looks.
The Giants had not named their starters as of publication. That leaves the home side’s pitching plan unsettled while the Braves can map out their order around Lopez, Elder, and Sale before the first pitch in San Francisco.
Atlanta Carries The Slump
Atlanta’s recent slide is harder to ignore than its record. Over its last 13 games, the club has allowed 5 runs per game while averaging 3.2 runs scored, a split that explains how a division-leading club can still look vulnerable over a short stretch.
That contradiction sits at the center of the series. Atlanta has the better overall record, but it enters Oracle Park after losing 10 of its last 13, while the Giants have spent the month at 10-11 and were 5-5 since the anti-Pride Night protest.
Returning Giants At Oracle Park
The matchup also sends several former Giants back to San Francisco. Mauricio Dubon, Dominic Smith, and Mike Yastrzemski were listed as returning with Atlanta, and Joey Bart will face his former club after Atlanta traded for him after the Giants series.
That adds another layer to a series that already has a short turnaround. The Giants nearly swept Atlanta last weekend before rain postponed the final game to August, and they now open this set at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, with Friday’s first pitch at 7:15pm PT.
