ATLANTA BRAVES NOTES:
Best Records
Atlanta (87-45, .659) and Los Angeles (83-49, .629) enter tonight’s game with the two best records in baseball. Since the 2018 season, Los Angeles (541-300, .643) and Atlanta (498-341, .594) are the two winningest teams in the N.L. Those are the best and third-best records in all of baseball in that span, respectively. The two clubs have met in three of the last five postseasons, including twice in the NLCS, with Atlanta going 8-9 in 17 playoff games against Los Angeles. With the win last night Atlanta moved to 42 games over .500 on the season, the most games it has been over .500 since 2002.
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Braves and Dodgers tonight open a four-game weekend series in what is the fourth of seven scheduled meetings between the clubs this season…Atlanta lost two-of-three to Los Angeles at Truist Park, May 22-24. The Braves and Dodgers played six times last season, with Atlanta going 2-4 in these games… Los Angeles won two-of-three at both Dodger Stadium and at Truist Park. Atlanta has not won the season set against Los Angeles since 2013, when it went 5-2 over seven games…Since the 2014 season, the Braves are just 17-37 (.315) in 54 regular season games versus the Dodgers, and have been outscored 259-179 (-80). The Braves have not won a series at Dodger Stadium since taking two-of-three here in 2012… Atlanta is just 7-22 (.241) here since 2013…The Braves have not won a four-game series in this park since winning three-of-four in 2009. RH Spencer Strider is set to make the third start of his career against Los Angeles and his second this season…The 6-foot-0, 195-pound right-hander is 0-1 with a 1.50 ERA (2 ER/6.0 IP) with 18 strikeouts versus the Dodgers all-time, but took the loss after allowing four runs, two earned, in his start against them on May 23 earlier this year. RH Lance Lynn is 4-3 with a 3.32 ERA (16 ER/43.1 IP) in seven career starts against Atlanta, including once this season as a member of the White Sox…The 6-foot-5, 270-pound native of Marion County, IN, allowed six hits and four runs over 5.1 innings on July 15…In five starts since being traded to the Dodgers, Lynn is 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA (7 ER/31.0 IP).
WIN: The Braves beat the Rockies, 7-3, last night to complete the sweep and win all seven games with Colorado this year…Atlanta scored 64 runs in the seven games and outscored Colorado by 44 (64-20). This is just the third time in the franchise’s modern era (since 1900) that the club swept a season set of at least seven games, and the second time doing so versus Colorado…Atlanta went a perfect 13-0 versus Colorado in 1993, and won all seven with Pittsburgh just last season. RH Darius Vines made his major league debut in the start for the Braves and allowed four hits and two runs over 6.0 innings to earn the win… He became the first visiting pitcher in history to complete 6.0 innings at Coors Field in his major league debut. Marcell Ozuna clubbed his ninth home run of the month last night, tying his most in a single calendar month in his career…Both instances have come this year after he also had nine in May…Ozuna had 10 homers in September/October of 2020, and March/April of 2019. The Braves moved to 5-1 on their current road trip, and 43-23 on the road overall.
AUGUST: The Braves tonight play their final game of the month of August, and enter play with a 20-8 (.714) record in the month…Only the Dodgers (24-4, .857) and Mariners (21-6, .778) have been better in baseball. With a win tonight, the Braves can match the Atlanta-era record for wins in August…The 1999 club went 21-7 in the month…Atlanta has won 20 games in August just three times previously since moving to the city in 1966, including 20 wins in both 2004 and 2013. Atlanta has pitched to a 3.48 ERA (95 ER/246.0 IP) in the month, fifth best in the majors, but the Braves’ 3.39 FIP trails just the Mariners (3.25) for lowest in baseball…Atlanta’s 2.27 ERA (23 ER/91.1 IP) in relief this month is lowest in the majors. The Braves have batted .301/.370/.523 with an .893 OPS this month, the best average in the majors… Atlanta’s on-base, slugging and OPS all rank second.
Tonight’s Starting Pitcher – #99 Spencer Strider RHP
2023 Record: 15-4, 3.46 ERA • 2022 Record: 11-5, 2.67 ERA
vs. RHB: .202 (57-282), 10 HR • vs. LHB: .205 (58-for-283), 8 HR
Home: 6-2, 3.79 ERA (33/78.1) • Away: 9-2, 3.12 ERA (26/75.0)
Tonight’s Game
- Set to make his second start against Los Angeles this season and 27th on the year. Snapped a streak of 20.0 consecutive scoreless innings in his last start against SF. Leads the majors with 236 strikeouts (Kevin Gausman ranks second with 202). Ranks first in FIP (2.64) and K/9 (13.85) in MLB; first in the NL in WHIP (1.06). Strider has 10 double-digit strikeout efforts this season; only Hall-of-Famer John Smoltz (12) has more in a single season in franchise history. Strider’s 15 wins are tied for the most in the majors. His swing and miss rate of 40.0% is the highest in the majors (among QS). His 16 games with at least 10 strikeouts are the second most in MLB history (1901) through a player’s first 45 starts; trails only Dwight Gooden (20). His 392 strikeouts as a starter are tied with Gooden for the most in in baseball history through a player’s first 45 starts.
2023 Recap
- On August 18 Strider recorded his fourth career game with at least 10 strikeouts while holding the opponents to one hit or less; the most such games by a pitcher
before turning 25 since the mound was set at its current distance (credit ESPN Stats). Struck out at least nine in eight consecutive starts, it was longest streak in the majors this season. Strider’s two separate five- and eight-game streaks of at least nine strikeouts are the longest in baseball this year. Strider truck out Shohei Ohtani (LAA) for his 200th strikeout of the season. Broke his own record – becoming the fastest pitcher, by innings pitched (123.1) to reach the 200 strikeout plateau within a single season since the mound moved to its current distance in 1893. Last year, he recorded 200 strikeouts in 130.0 innings…Prior to last season, Hall-of-Famer LHP Randy Johnson held the record, reaching 200 strikeouts in 130.2 innings in 2001. Strider is the fifth pitcher since 1893 to collect at least 200 strikeouts in his first two full major league seasons, joining: Cleveland’s Herb Score (1955-56), New York’s (NL) Dwight Gooden (1984-85), Los Angeles’ (NL) Hideo Nomo (1995-96) and Texas’ Yu Darvish (2012-13). He’s the fourth Braves pitcher, over the same span, with multiple 200-strikeout seasons, alongside teammate Charlie Morton (2021-22) and Hall-of-Famers John Smoltz, (5 times, 1992-93, ’96-97, ‘06) and Phil Niekro, (three times, 1977-79). Strider’s 354 strikeouts through his first 40 career starts are the most by any pitcher since the mound was set to it’s current distance in 1893, credit ESPN Stats. Became the first Braves pitcher to enter the All-Star break leading the National League in Strikeouts with 166 since Hall-of-Famer John Smoltz in 1996. Strider passed Smoltz (149) for the most strikeouts before the All-Star break. Strider joined Cy Young Award-winner Dwight Gooden as the only pitchers in the modern era to reach 300 strikeouts in their first 35 career starts. Through the 35 starts, Gooden recorded 302 strikeouts in 248.0 innings pitched while Strider logged 301 punchouts in 192.0 frames. Struck out Nick Castellanos in the fourth inning on May 28 to become the fastest starting pitcher, by innings pitched (61.0), to reach 100 strikeouts in a season, since the mound was moved to its current distance in 1893…Strider bested his own franchise record, set last season in 64.2 innings. (Research courtesy of Elias)
Struck out J.T. Realmuto to reach 300 on his career. Strider became the 13th player in major league history to record at least 300 strikeouts in 44 career appearances or less and first since Shane Bieber in 2018. Of the other 12 pitchers, Strider is the only one to have more than two relief appearances in his first 44 outings. Snapped a streak of 12 consecutive games with at least eight strikeouts on May 17. Tied Hall-of-Famers Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson for the seventh longest
such streak in the live ball era (since 1920). Only Hall-of-Famers Ryan, Johnson, Pedro MartÃnez and active pitchers Corey Kluber and Shane Bieber have longer streaks. Recorded a streak of nine consecutive games with at least nine strikeouts between 9/1/22-5/1/23; it is tied for third-longest such streak in the modern era (1900). Passed Hall-of-Famer John Smoltz for the longest streak in franchise history.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS NOTES:
BE THE BEST, BEAT THE BEST: The Dodgers won their fourth straight game and seventh in the last eight tries, sweeping the Diamondbacks for the second time this year and improving to a Major League best 32-11 (.744) in the second half of the season. The seven-game homestand (3-0) rolls on tonight as the Atlanta Braves come to town boasting Major League Baseball’s best record and a 4.0-game lead over the Dodgers for the top seed in the MLB Postseason. Following this four-game tilt, the Dodgers will travel to Miami on Monday and begin a three-game series with the Marlins Tuesday night at 3:40 P.T. As part of their six-game road trip, the Boys in Blue will take on the Nationals next weekend in Washington, D.C. from September 8-10. The Dodgers hold a season high 14.5-game lead over San Francisco in the National League West division. The Dodgers took two of three from the Braves May 22-24 at Truist Park in Georgia. Since the start of 2021, the Dodgers are 10-5 vs. Atlanta, while winning five of six at Dodger Stadium. This evening, the first 40,000 ticketed fans will receive a dual James Outman/Miguel Vargas bobblehead, presented by Budweiser.
SHUTDOWN CITY: The Dodgers recorded their 13th shutout victory (T-2nd, MLB) last night, blanking Arizona, 7-0. Ryan Pepiot was fantastic, firing 5.0 scoreless innings and giving up just two hits to earn his first win of the season. Right behind Pepiot, Ryan Yarbrough was almost as good, tossing 4.0 shutout frames and allowing four hits while picking up his second save of the campaign. Offensively, Max Muncy went 2-for-3 and had a game-high three RBI while Freddie Freeman went 2-for-4 and cracked his 25th home run of the season. Muncy’s double in the fourth inning gives him an extra-base hit in eight consecutive games, a career best and tied for third in Dodger history. The only Dodgers to collect extra-base hits in nine straight games were Jack Fournier in 1925 and John Roseboro in 1961.
ONE OF THE BEST MONTHS EVER: The Dodgers yesterday improved to 24-4 in August with just one game left to play in the month. They are just the fifth team since 1969 to win 24 or more in a month, joining the 1973 Reds (24, July), the 1977 Royals (25, September), the 2002 A’s (24, August) and the 2017 Indians (25, September). The Boys in Blue started the month with a 17-3 mark, tying a franchise record for most wins in the first 20 games of the month. The Dodgers last night clinched having the best August in franchise history, surpassing the 1953 squad. Even with a win tonight, they will fall just short of having the best month in club history (July, 2017, .870). (min. 20 games).
Team Record Winning Percentage
2023 Los Angeles Dodgers 24-4 .857
1953 Los Angeles Dodgers 25-6 .806
The Dodgers have 24 wins this month – most in L.A. Dodger history – and have a chance to match the franchise record for victories in one calendar month tonight:
MOST WINS IN A CALENDAR MONTH, DODGER FRANCHISE HISTORY
July, 1947 25
August, 1953 25
August, 2023 24
According to ESPN Stats&Info, the Dodgers’ .793 winning percentage (88-23) in August over the last four seasons is the best in a single month over a four-season span in MLB history (min. 80 games). The only other team in baseball to own a .750+ winning percentage in the same month four years in-a-row was the Chicago White Stockings from 1878-1881.
TONIGHT’S STARTER vs. BRAVES: RHP LANCE LYNN (10-9, 5.56 ERA in 26 GS)
2023 SEASON NOTES:
- In his fifth start for the Blue Crew on August 25 against the Red Sox, he fired 6.0 innings, giving up 10 hits, four runs (three earned), and one walk while punching out one, earning the win…was traded from the White Sox alongside teammate Joe Kelly on July 28. Over 26 starts, the Indiana native owns a 10-9 record with a 5.56 ERA (93 ER/150.2 IP) with 170 strikeouts against 51 walks and has generated a 1.38 WHIP. Tossed a career-high 16 strikeouts on June 18 against Seattle
- Since joining the Dodgers, he is 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA (7 ER/31.0 IP) and 26 strikeouts against six walks. Notched his first win of the season on May 5 against Cincinnati, spinning 6.2 innings and giving up eight hits, four runs, a homer and eight strikeouts. Pitched in four spring training games with the White Sox, going 2-0 with a 1.09 ERA (7 ER/14.2 IP)
VS. BRAVES:
- Will face Atlanta for the eighth time in his career…is 4-3 with a 3.32 ERA (16 ER/43.1 IP) and 37 strikeouts against 12 walks. Last faced the club on July 15, 2023 with the White Sox, firing 5.1 innings, giving up six hits, four runs and three walks while striking out six in the win