LOS ANGELES DODGERS NOTES:
TONIGHT’S STARTER at BRAVES: RHP TONY GONSOLIN (2-1, 1.13 ERA in 5 GS)
2023 SEASON NOTES:
- Got his second win of the season in his last start against St. Louis, tossing five scoreless innings on just one hit, three walks and punching out three…has wins in back-to-back starts
- 2022 All-Star tossed his first win of the season on Sunday against San Diego after firing five scoreless innings and giving up two hits, one walk, and tying a season-high six strikeouts
- In his rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on April 20th, he hurled three innings, allowing one hit, two earned runs, two walks while sitting down seven
- Made one Spring Training start, tossing 2.1 innings, allowing no runs on three hits, while walking two and striking out two
VS. BRAVES:
- Last faced Atlanta on June 26, 2022, spinning 5.2 innings and giving up five hits, one run, two walks and five strikeouts in the no decision
- He is 1-0 with a 1.15 ERA (2 ER/15.2 IP) and 10 strikeouts in three career games against the Braves
ATLANTA BRAVES NOTES:
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Braves and Dodgers tonight conclude a three-game series in what is the third of seven scheduled meetings between the clubs this season…Atlanta will travel to Los Angeles, August 31 to September 3, for a four-game set at Dodger Stadium.
- Los Angeles beat Atlanta, 8-1, last night and has won the first two games of this series.
- 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 here 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 16-37 (.302) in 53 regular season games versus the Dodgers, and have been outscored 256-175 (-81).
- The Braves and Dodgers have played 18 total games here at Truist Park since the facility opened in 2017, with Atlanta going 7-11 (.412) against Los Angeles in that span.
- Since the 2018 season, Los Angeles (489-270, .644) and Atlanta (440-314, .584) are the two winningest teams in the N.L…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…The clubs enter tonight with the two best records in the N.L. this season.
- RH Bryce Elder has never faced Los Angeles, and has pitched against just one active Dodger (Miguel Rojas; 1-for-5) in his career…The 6-foot-2, 225- pound right-hander has made nine starts for Atlanta this season, going a perfect 3-0 with a 2.06 ERA (12 ER/52.1 IP)…He has allowed no more than two runs in seven of his nine starts.
- RH Tony Gonsolin tonight makes his fourth career start against Atlanta, and is 1-0 with a 1.15 ERA (2 ER/15.2 IP) in his career versus the Braves… The 6-foot-3, 205-pound native of Vacaville, CA is 18-2 since the start of last season, compiling a 1.98 ERA (34 ER/154.1 IP) and pitching the Dodgers to a 22-7 record in his 29 starts.
LOSS: Atlanta dropped its second consecutive game last night, falling to Los Angeles, 8-1…It was just the fifth game this season in which the Braves have failed to score multiple runs.
- The Braves did not homer last night, snapping a streak of nine consecutive games with at least one home run that dated to May 13 at Toronto…
Atlanta had been tied with Minnesota for the longest active streak in MLB. - Atlanta has just one win this season in a game it has not homered, Opening Day vs. Washington…The Braves beat the Nationals, 7-2, but failed to leave the ballpark…Since that game, the Braves have lost all nine games in which they do not homer.
- The Braves fell to just 4-8 in their last 12 games, the worst 12-game stretch for the club this season.
BULLPEN: The Atlanta bullpen combined to allow four runs in 3.0 innings last night, and has a 4.17 ERA (38 ER/82.0 IP) and a 4.15 FIP this month…In 26 games over March and April, Braves relievers pitched to a 3.88 ERA (41 ER/95.0 IP) and a 3.13 FIP.
- Atlanta’s relievers have allowed a home run in four consecutive games dating to May 20 vs. Seattle, the longest active streak by a bullpen in the majors.
- Only four longer such streaks have occurred in 2023: Chicago-AL (7 games), Tampa Bay (5), Milwaukee (5) and Detroit (5).
Tonight’s Starting Pitcher – #55 Bryce Elder RHP
2023 Record: 3-0, 2.06 ERA • 2022 Record: 2-4, 3.17 ERA
vs. RHB: .255 (28-110), 1 HR • vs. LHB: .205 (17-82), 2 HR
Home: 0-0, 2.17 ERA (7 ER/29.0 IP) • Away: 3-0, 1.93 ERA (5 ER/23.1 IP)
Tonight’s Game
- Set to make his first career start against Los Angeles (NL) and 10th on the season.
- Enters play with 14 consecutive outings of at least 5.0 innings pitched.
- His 2.06 ERA on the season is the lowest in the National League and third lowest in the majors among qualified starters.
- Trails only Minnesota’s Sonny Gray (1.64) and TB’s Shane McClanahan (2.05).
- Elder’s 3.24 ERA with runners on base is the lowest in the NL and second in the majors among qualified starters.
- Scattered seven hits and one walk over 6.0 innings of two-run ball while fanning six hitters in his last start at Seattle.
- His groundball rate of 55.4% of balls put in play is the fifth highest in the majors among qualified starters.
- Has recorded an out on 65.0% of those grounders put in play, the fourth highest rate in baseball among qualifiers.
- He has five starts in his career of at least 6.0 innings without allowing a run, the most such games in Atlanta franchise history (since 1966) in a player’s first 15 starts…Larry McWilliams (’78) and Ian Anderson (’20-21) both had four such starts.
- Is 4-1 with a 1.91 ERA over his last 14 games started after being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett for the second time, dating to his August 14, 2022.
- In that stretch, Elder is averaging 6.0 innings pitched per outing, tied for the fourth highest rate in the National League (min. 10 starts).
2023 Recap
- Elder’s 2.39 ERA through 17 career starts is the lowest in Atlanta franchise history to begin a career.
- The 98.0 innings pitched through his first 17 games started are the most by an Atlanta player to begin their career since Michael Soroka in 2018-19.
- His 26 earned runs allowed are also the fewest during that span.
- Elder has held opponents to one run or less in four this season while pitching at least 5.0 frames in every outing.
- His nine appearances of at least 5.0 innings pitched while holding opponents to one run or less are tied for the most through a player’s first 17 career games started with Michael Soroka.
