ATLANTA BRAVES NOTES:
Winning Streaks
Atlanta enters tonight’s game winners of its last eight games, while Cincinnati has won its last 11 straight. The Reds and Braves own the two longest active winning streaks in baseball. Tonight’s game is the first between two teams on winning streaks of at least eight games since August 23, 2021, when the Braves and Yankees met at Truist Park riding nine-game runs. There have been just six previous games in history to feature teams that have each won at least eight consecutive games.
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Braves and Reds tonight open a three-game weekend series with the fourth of six scheduled meetings between the two teams this season…Atlanta swept a three-game series at Truist Park, April 10-12.
- The Braves have won seven of their last nine games against the Reds dating to last season.
- Atlanta has gone 4-3 against Cincinnati in each of the past two seasons…Prior to 2021, Atlanta had not won the season set with Cincinnati since going 5-2 in 2014…From 2015-2019, the Braves went 15-19 (.441) against Cincinnati.
- The Braves are just 29-40 (.420) here at Great American Ball Park since the facility opened in 2003, and have never swept a series in this ballpark…Atlanta won two-of-three here last season, its first series win in Cincinnati since 2017.
- RH AJ Smith-Shawver is set to make just the third start and fourth appearance of his career tonight, and his first outing against the Reds…The 6-foot3, 205-pound right-hander earned the first win of his career in his last start, last Thursday against Colorado, allowing three runs over 5.2 innings and fanning a career-most six.
- RH Luke Weaver has pitched in six total games and made five starts against Atlanta in his career, compiling a 1-3 record and a 4.91 ERA (16 ER/29.1 IP)…He last started against the Braves in 2021, making a pair of starts while with Arizona and going 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA (7 ER/11.2 IP)…The 6-foot-2, 183-pound native of DeLand, FL, has made 11 starts for Cincinnati this season, going 1-2 with a 6.47 ERA (41 ER/57.0 IP) and 71 hits allowed.
WIN: Atlanta scored five runs in the top of the 10th inning yesterday afternoon in Philadelphia, and beat the Phillies, 5-1…The Braves moved to a season-best 22 games over .500 with the win.
- The Braves improved to 4-1 (.800) in extra-inning games with the win, and Atlanta’s 4-1 mark is tied with the Brewers and Mets for the best in baseball among teams to play at least five extra-inning games.
- Atlanta is batting .286/.400/.762 in extra innings this season, and its 1.162 OPS after the ninth inning is highest in baseball…The Braves have three homers in extra innings, including Marcell Ozuna’s yesterday, tied for the most in the majors.
- Atlanta and Philadelphia entered the 10th inning tied, 0-0, the first Braves game to be scoreless entering extra innings since June 3, 2022 at Coors Field in Colorado.
- The Braves are a majors-best 23-11 (.676) on the road this season, and their 23 wins away from home are tied with the Orioles for most in baseball… Atlanta is 9-2-0 in series play away from Truist Park this year.
VERSUS THE CENTRAL: Atlanta has yet to lose to the N.L. Central this season, going a perfect 6-0 with sweeps of St. Louis (April 3-5) and Cincinnati (April 10-12).
- The Braves finished 21-12 (.636) against the Central last season after they went 22-12 (.647) against the division in 2021…That 22-12 record last season was the best by any National League team against the Central.
- Since 2018, when the Braves started a string of five consecutive division titles, Atlanta is 87-51 (.630) against the N.L. Central, the best record in the National League and behind just Toronto (16-9, .640) for the best in baseball.
JUNE: Atlanta’s win yesterday moved the club to 15-3 (.833) in the month of June, the best record in baseball… The Braves are on pace for 21 wins this month.
- The Atlanta-era record for wins in a calendar month is 21, done four times previously and most recently in June of last year…The Braves also won 21 games in June of 2002, May of 1998 and August of 1999.
- The Atlanta-era record for winning percentage in a calendar month is .808, set by the 2002 team with a 21-5 record that June…The Braves’ current winning percentage this month is .833.
- Since the start of the 2018 season, Atlanta’s 83-43 (.659) record in June is best in baseball.
OFFENSE: Atlanta has combined to score 65 runs and collect 86 hits in its last eight games, and the Braves have won all seven… Atlanta’s 65 runs are its most through an eight-game span since September 6-13, 2020, when it scored 67 times.
- The Braves’ .898 OPS in the month of June is best in baseball, and Atlanta leads the majors in average (.303), on-base (.368), slugging (.530), home runs (37), runs (122) and runs/game (6.78) for the month.
- Atlanta as a club has combined to produce a majors-best wRC+ of 139 for the month of June, meaning the team as a whole is producing 39 percent above league average this month.
Tonight’s Starting Pitcher – #62 AJ SMITH-SHAWVER RHP
2023 Record: 1-0, 2.03 ERA • MiLB Record: 2-1, 1.09 ERA
vs. RHB: .174 (4-23), 2 HR • vs. LHB: .200 (5-25), 0 HR
Home: 1-0, 2.45 ERA (3 ER/11.0) • Away: 0-0, 0.00 ERA (0/2.1)
Today’s Game
- Smith-Shawver is set to make his third career start and fourth appearance tonight against Cincinnati.
- Allowed six hits, three runs, one walk and two homers while fanning six hitters and earning his first career win in his last start against Colorado.
- At 20 years – 207 days old, he’s the youngest Braves starting pitcher to earn a win since Steve Avery (20 years – 132 days), August 24, 1990 vs. Chicago (NL).
- Just the sixth time in Atlanta franchise history (1966) a pitcher of SmithShawver’s age or younger was credited with the win.
- Atlanta selected his contract on May 30.
- Smith-Shawver is rated by MLB.com as Atlanta’s No. 4 overall prospect.
- Went 2-1 with a 1.09 ERA in seven starts across three levels of Atlanta’s farm system.
- Was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in three starts with High-A Rome.
- Went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in two start with Double-A Mississippi.
- Finished 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA in two starts for Triple-A Gwinnett.
2023 Recap
- Became the youngest pitcher to make his first start for Atlanta since Julio Teheran on May 7, 2011.
- Just one pitcher in baseball this season has started at a younger age, with Eury Pérez making five such starts for the Marlins.
- Prior to his debut, Smith-Shawver had 33.0 professional innings pitched.
CINCINNATI REDS NOTES:
RED HOTS
- The Reds’ 11-game winning streak is the longest active winning streak in the Major Leagues and their longest since a 12-game winning streak from 4/30-5/12, 1957 that tied the 1939 modern club record.
- The Reds are the first team in Major League history to move into first place alone in 9 games or fewer after falling 5 or more games under .500 while facing a deficit of at least 5 games…on 6/9 were 29-35 and trailed the first-place Pirates by 5.0 games…beginning 6/10 won 9 straight games to move into first place alone on 6/19.
- Reds baserunners in 64 attempts have scored 63 runs from second base on singles…both lead the Major Leagues.
- Reds batters ranks second in the Major Leagues with 78 stolen bases (TB 96), their highest total since 2019 (80sb)…recorded 58 stolen bases all last season…have been successful on 38 of their last 42 attempts, including 15 of their last 17 steal attempts.
TONIGHT’S GAME
- Is Game 1 (2-0) of a 3-game series vs Jared Burleyson’s Braves and Game 4 (3-0) of a 7-day homestand that included a 3-0 series sweep vs the Rockies and yesterday’s off day.
- Following this series the Reds travel to Baltimore for a brief 3-game series vs the Orioles before returning to Great American Ball Park for a 3-game series against the Padres, Cin’s last home series of the first half.
SERIES NOTES
- The Braves lead this season’s series, 3-0, following their series sweep from 4/10-4/12 at Truist Park…was their first series sweep win over the Reds during the regular season since 4/25-4/27, 2014, also at Truist (3g).
- The Reds are 25-26 vs Atl in the last 51 regular season games and went 4-3-1 in the previous 8 season series.
ORIOLES UP NEXT
- The Reds are 6-9 all-time vs the Orioles, including 5-4 at Great American Ball Park and 1-5 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
- The Reds’ 15 regular season games vs Bal are their fewest against any other Major League team.
- The Reds beginning Monday will play in Camden Yards for the third time, including a 2-1 series loss there in 2011 and a 3-0 series sweep loss in their most recent meeting in 2014.
- In 2011 the Reds played in Baltimore for the first time since the 1970 World Series.
INTERLEAGUE NOTES
- Before the interleague schedule expanded this season to include games vs all 15 American League teams, from 1997-2022 the Redlegs went 188- 247 vs the American League, at .432 the lowest interleague winning percentage of any Major League team…in 2022 the Reds went 12-8 vs AL teams…last season’s was their first winning record vs the American League since 2013 (11-9)…in the 8 seasons between the 2013 & 2022 season series wins, the Reds went 61-99 vs AL teams (.381).
ABOUT WEDNESDAY’S GAME
- In Wed’s 5-3 win vs Col, LHP Andrew Abbott (10), RHP Lucas Sims (2), RHP Ian Gibaut (2) and RHP Buck Farmer (1) combined for 15 strikeouts and 0 walks…for only the second time since 1893, when the mound was moved to its current distance, Reds pitchers recorded as many as 15 strikeouts without a walk (Mario Soto CG, 8/17/82 vs NYM, 9ip, 4h, 2er, 0bb, 15k)
Tonight’s Pitcher – #34 Luke Weaver, RHP
- Tonight is making his seventh career appearance and sixth start vs the Braves.
- Has been charged with 2 pitch timer violations, on 5/31 at Bos (Masataka Yoshida) and 6/18 at Hou (Cory Julks).
- In the 4-3 loss on 4/20 at Pit, came off the 15-day injured list to make his 2023 season and Reds debuts…in the first inning allowed all 4 runs on 3 hits, including 2-out, back-to-back home runs by Connor Joe (3-run) and Jack Suwinski (solo)…in his last 5.0 innings faced only 16 batters and retired his last 10 batters…Joe’s 3-run HR snapped Weaver’s career-high 29.0-inning homerless streak (24g) dating back to his only start of 2022 (6/18/22 vs Min, Gary Sánchez).
- On 3/8, left his third spring training appearance with right forearm tightness…didn’t pitch in another Cactus League “A” game for the Reds.
- On Opening Day went on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow flexor strain, snapping his 5-season streak on an active Opening Day roster (Cardinals 2018, Diamondbacks 2019-2022).
- On 4/9 and 4/14 made 2 rehabilitation apps with Louisville (0-0, 3.00, 9ip, 3h, 3er, 4bb, 9k, 1hr, 0.78whip, .107baa).
- On 1/13/23 was signed to a 1-year contract through the 2023 season.
