Despite losing to the Miami Marlins 4-0 Saturday night, the Atlanta Braves are still only 1 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the second Wild Card spot, and they have a healthy slate of games against Division rivals approaching, including six key games against Division leader Washington. If ever there was a time for one of the streakiest teams in baseball to run off an extended win streak, this would seem to be it.
The Braves (71-65) close out their three game home series against the Marlins (66-68) beginning at 5:10 PM Sunday afternoon at Turner Field. The Braves will start lefty Alex Wood (9-10, 3.09 ERA / 3.48 FIP), who is 2-2 with a 2.43 ERA in his last 5 starts. Troublemaker Christian Yelich is hitting .500 against Wood in his career, and is in the midst of a hot streak, batting .414 over his last 17 games.
The Marlins will start right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (6-9, 4.30 ERA / 3.26 FIP). Eovaldi has lost his last 3 starts with an ERA of 7.53 over that span. However, he has typically pitched well against the Braves, with a 2.35 ERA in 10 games against Atlanta.
Jason Heyward has fared very well against Eovaldi, going 11 for 25 against him in his career. The heart of the Atlanta order, however, has not fared as well. Freddie Freeman, Justin Upton, Chris Johnson, and Evan Gattis are a combined 7 for 63 against Eovaldi (.111).
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