MLB Preview: Atlanta Braves (40-25) at Detroit Tigers (26-37)

ATLANTA BRAVES NOTES:

Road Bullpen ERA
Atlanta’s bullpen has pitched to a 2.69 ERA (29 ER/97.0 IP) on the road this season, pacing the National League and trailing only the New York Yankees (2.16) in MLB.

The Yankees, Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates (2.96) are the only three clubs with sub3.00 bullpen ERAs on the road.

Five Atlanta relievers have posted sub-3.00 ERAs on the road (min. 5 apps.): Jesse Chavez (0.71), Nick Anderson (1.54), Kirby Yates (2.00), A.J. Minter (2.25) and Collin McHugh (2.79).

This season, the MLB average for road bullpen ERA is 4.18.

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Braves and Tigers tonight begin a three-game series in what is the only scheduled meetings between the clubs this season…The two teams are meeting for the first time since the 2019 season.

• Atlanta took two-of-three the last time these two met, and won the series by the same margin in 2016…The Braves have not lost a series to the Tigers since 2013.
• The Braves and Tigers have met just 24 times since the advent of interleague play in 1997, with Atlanta going just 10-14 (.417) against Detroit all-time… The two clubs have split eight all-time series, 4-4, although Detroit has the only two sweeps between the teams.
• The Braves are just 1-5 here at Comerica Park all-time, and have lost each of their last five games here after winning their first…Atlanta has been outscored by Detroit, 39-17 (-22), in this building.
• RH Charlie Morton has made four career starts against Detroit, and is 1-2 with a 2.00 ERA (6 ER/27.0 IP) versus the Tigers…He last faced them in 2019 while with Tampa Bay, and allowed just one unearned run over 14.0 total innings in a pair of starts…The 6-foot-5, 235-pound right-hander has made 12 starts for Atlanta this season, going 5-6 with a 3.89 ERA (30 ER/69.1 IP).
• RHP Mason Englert is slated to open against Atlanta today, making his first career start…Made his major league debut on March 30 after making the team out of camp…The 6-foot-4, 206-pound right-hander has made 21 relief appearances for the Tigers this season, pitching to a 1-2 record and a 5.00 ERA (20 ER/36.0 IP)…Across eight appearances in interleague play, has pitched to a 6.00 ERA (8 ER/12.0 IP).

INTERLEAGUE PLAY: The Braves today resume their interleague slate…Atlanta is 11-12 (.478) against the A.L. this season, tied for the 15th-best record in MLB.

• Charlie Morton’s 43 career interleague starts rank fifth among active pitchers…Zack Greinke (74), Max Scherzer (53), Clayton Kershaw (52) and Adam Wainwright (48) are the only players with more…Morton owns a 15-11 lifetime record and a 3.52 ERA in interleague play.
• Among active N.L. players, Marcell Ozuna’s 121 career interleague RBI rank fourth, while his 32 home runs rank ninth.

BASERUNNING: Braves baserunners went first-to-third seven times during their six-game homestand, and have now done so 40 times this season…That total is tied with Colorado for the most in the major leagues.

• Despite this frequency, with runners on first and third this season, Atlanta batters are hitting a majors-worst .182 (10-for-55) with just four sacrifice flies.
• Atlanta has not recorded an out in a first-to-third attempt this season, one of six National League clubs to avoid one

FIRST INNING: Atlanta plated its only two runs in the first inning yesterday…The Braves lead the majors with 58 runs scored in the first inning, while also pacing baseball with a .337 batting average, a .623 slugging percentage and 19 home runs in the first frame.

• 1B Matt Olson hit his MLB-leading eighth first-inning home run of the season…The ball traveled 421 feet…He’s tied for second in the majors with 11 extra-base hits in the opening inning.
• RF Ronald Acuña Jr. is tied for the major-league lead with 12 extra-base hits in the first frame… Mookie Betts (LAD) has also done it.
• The Braves have scored in 28 different first innings this year, the most in baseball, and are 20-8 (.714) when they do so.
• On the opposite side of the ball, the Braves own the second-lowest first-inning ERA in National League (2.49), only trailing Miami (1.91).

JESSE CHAVEZ: Pitched 2.0 innings in Saturday’s win, 6-4, over Washington…Increased his scoreless innings streak to 11.0 frames, the seventh-longest active streak by a reliever and the 12th-longest overall…Has only allowed one earned run across his last 18 games and 19.0 innings pitched.

• Chavez has not conceded a run since May 17 at Texas…Since that date, has held opponents to a .114 batting average, walking four and striking out 14.
• Among pitchers with at least 30 appearances this season, his 1.55 ERA (5 ER/29.0 IP) paces the National League and ranks second in MLB behind Felix Bautista (BAL, 1.16).
• Only two of his 68 batted balls this season have been barreled (2.9%), ranking in the 96th percentile league-wide.
• Chavez’s 13 holds are tied for fourth in the majors.

STREAK SNAPPED: The Braves lost to Washington yesterday, 6-2, thus snapping the club’s seven-game winning streak…It hadn’t lost since June 4 at Arizona.

• It had been the longest active streak in the big leagues and fell one shy of their longest streak this season (April 10-18).
• It also snapped Atlanta’s six-game winning streak at Truist Park, which had been tied with Miami for the longest active home winning streak across the majors

Tonight’s Starting Pitcher – #50 Charlie Morton RHP
2023 Record: 5-6, 3.89 ERA • 2022 Record: 9-6, 4.34 ERA
vs. RHB: .256 (35-137), 4 HR • vs. LHB: .273 (36-132), 4 HR
Home: 2-3, 4.64 ERA (17/33.0) • Away: 3-3, 3.22 ERA (13/36.1)

Today’s Game

• Set to make his 13th start of the season and first against Detroit.
• Will be his first appearance against the Tigers since August 16, 2019.
• His 43 interleague starts are the fifth most among active pitchers.
• Snapped a streak of 11 consecutive games with a decision in his last start against New York (NL); at the time it was the longest active streak in 2023.
• All of Charlie’s strikeouts against the Mets in his last turn were on curveballs.
• Morton has struck out 326 hitters with his curveball since the beginning of the 2020; the most in the majors.
• During that span hitters are missing on 53.2% of curveballs thrown, the second highest rate in the majors…The MLB average is 11.6% (among QS).
• Since 2022 he has thrown his curve on 40.4% of pitches, also the second most in baseball among qualified starters.
• Utilizing his curveball on 46.4% of pitches thrown this season.
• Morton’s 981 strikeouts since the 2018 season are the fourth most in baseball.
• Prior to the 2018 season, Morton threw his curveball on 21.3% of pitches throughout his career.
• Since the beginning of 2018 he has thrown his curve on 36.3% of pitches.
• Enters play with only 21% of balls put in play against him registering as line drives this season.
• Tied for the second lowest mark in the National League.
• Hitters are registering a .337 batting average on balls in play against Morton in ’23.
• The MLB BABIP this season is .301 for qualified starters.
• Batters are hitting 39.2% of balls 95 mph or higher against Morton while the MLB average for qualified starters is 39.7%.
• Hitters are averaging a 7.30 launch angle against Charlie; fifth lowest in the NL.
• In his age 39 season, Morton is the sixth-oldest active pitcher in the majors.

2023 Recap

• Became the sixth pitcher in franchise history to pitch at least 6.0 innings and strikeout nine or more in an outing at age 39 or older.
• Passed R.A. Dickey and Hall-of-Famer Cy Young with three such games.
• Trails Hall-of-Famers Phil Niekro (10), John Smoltz (8), and Warren Spahn (4).
• Struck out 10 hitters over 6.2 scoreless innings in his win against Texas on May 15.
• Has now struckout at least 10 hitters in six games since turning 38, passing Hall-of-Famer Cy Young for the ninth most such games dating to 1901.
• Morton is the first player with at least six games of 10 or more strikeouts at his age since Hall-of-Famers Randy Johnson and John Smoltz.
• Made his first start of the season against St. Louis.
• Only struck out one hitter through 5.1 innings pitched against the Cardinals, marking just the ninth time in his career Morton pitched at least 5.0 frames while failing to record at least two punchouts and the first since June 5, 2015 against Pittsburgh.
• Struck out San Diego’s Jake Croneworth on April 8 to record his 1,700th career punchout.
• Is one of 16 active pitchers in baseball with as many strikeouts

DETROIT TIGERS NOTES:

TIGERS DROP FINALE TO ARIZONA: The Tigers were unable to hold a late lead on Sunday, falling to the Diamondbacks, 7-5. Kerry Carpenter reached base four times, going 3×4 with a walk, while Jake Marisnick added two hits, including a double, and drove in a run. Zach McKinstry hit a two-run homer, his fifth of the season. Will Vest opened for Detroit, throwing a scoreless inning with one hit allowed. Joey Wentz tossed 4.1 innings, giving up two runs on one hit with two walks and four strikeouts.

ROSTER MOVES: The Tigers have announced the following roster moves:
*Following yesterday’s game, optioned INF/OF Nick Solak to Triple A Toledo
*Reinstated OF Matt Vierling from the 10-day injured list

MOVIN’ ON UP: Miguel Cabrera continued his climb up the MLB all-time hits list yesterday, going 1×4 with a run scored. Cabrera’s hit was the 3,111th of his Major League career, breaking a tie with Dave Winfield for sole possession of 22nd in MLB history. He is now four hits away from tying Alex Rodriguez (3,115) for 21st. Cabrera has hit safely in five of his last six games, going 8×18 with four doubles and two RBI.

A CARPENTER AND HIS TOOLS: Kerry Carpenter notched his second consecutive three-hit game yesterday against Arizona, finishing the game 3×4 with a walk. Carpenter has now recorded multiple hits in four straight games, the longest streak of his career. Since being reinstated from the injured list on Friday, Carpenter has gone 8×12 with a double.

TIGERS AND BRAVES: The Tigers and Braves begin their only series of the season tonight. The two teams last met in 2019 in Atlanta with the Braves winning two-of-three games. Detroit holds a 14-10 edge in the all-time series, including a 5-1 record at Comerica Park.

INTERLEAGUE ACTION: The Tigers continue their interleague schedule tonight against the Braves. Detroit is 11-11 against National League foes this season, including a 4-5 record against NL East teams. The Tigers have finished with a winning record against NL opponents in each of the last two seasons.

AT COMERICA PARK: The Tigers are 0-3 on their current six-game homestand, which includes three games vs. Arizona (0-3) and three games vs. Atlanta (June 12-14). Detroit is 14-16 at home this season. As a team, the Tigers are hitting .239/.315/.377 at Comerica Park, while the
pitching staff has a 4.71 ERA (275.0IP/144ER).

INJURY REHAB UPDATES: Matt Manning began an injury rehab assignment yesterday with Triple a Toledo, starting on the mound and working 1.2 scoreless innings with two hits allowed, two walks and one strikeout.

TIGERS ON THE IL:

• OF Akil Baddoo (right quad strain, 10-day IL on June 10)
• RHP Beau Brieske (right upper arm discomfort, 60-day IL on March 30, retroactive to March 27)
• RHP Alex Faedo (right middle finger discomfort, 15-day IL on June 3, retroactive to May 31)
• OF Riley Greene (left fibula stress reaction, 10-day IL on May 31)
• RHP Matt Manning (right foot fracture, 60-day IL on April 12)
• OF Austin Meadows (anxiety, 60-day IL on April 8, retroactive to April 7)
• RHP Casey Mize (right elbow sprain, 60-day IL on February 17)
• RHP Freddy Pacheco (right elbow sprain, 60-day IL on March 27)
• LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (left index finger pulley rupture, 15-day IL on May 30, retroactive to May 29)
• LHP Tarik Skubal (left elbow strain, 60-day IL on March 14)
• RHP Spencer Turnbull (neck discomfort, 60-day IL on May 12, retroactive to May 7)
• RHP Trey Wingenter (right biceps tendinitis, 60-day IL on April 22, retroactive to April 19)

TONIGHT’S TIGERS STARTING PITCHER – #53 Mason Englert • 1-2, 5.00 ERA (36.0IP/20ER)

• Englert will make his 21st appearance overall and the first start of his Major League career tonight in the series opener vs. Atlanta.
• Made his last appearance on Friday vs. Arizona, working a perfect inning in relief with one strikeout.
• Will be facing the Braves for the first time in his career…has made 10 appearances at Comerica Park this season, and has a 3.15 ERA (20.0IP/7ER) with 11 strikeouts.
• Earned the first win of his Major League career on April 25 at Milwaukee, throwing 2.2 shutout innings while striking out four and allowing just one hit.
• Made his Major League debut on March 30 at Tampa Bay, allowing a run on one hit in 1.0 inning.
• Started 43 games in the Minors prior to this season, and had a 14-9 record with a 3.93 ERA (199.1IP/87ER) and 226 strikeouts.