After concluding a closely fought series dominated by pitching against the Mariners, the Braves now conclude their West Coast journey in Los Angeles. Their latest outing saw a 5-2 triumph over Seattle on Wednesday afternoon, providing the team with a crucial off day on Thursday before facing off against one of their significant rivals in the National League.
As May begins, both the Braves (20-9) and the Dodgers (20-13) stand atop their divisions. This upcoming series promises to be charged with excitement, featuring star-studded lineups on both sides of the diamond.
Tonight’s pitching duel features Charlie Morton (2-0, 3.60 ERA) on the mound for Atlanta, aiming to extend the streak of strong starting performances. However, Morton’s historical statistics against the Dodgers present a less than stellar picture, with a 1-4 record and a 5.70 ERA across seven career encounters. Nevertheless, there’s optimism that Morton, affectionately known as Uncle Charlie, can reverse this trend and thwart the offensive prowess of Mookie Betts and the Dodgers lineup.
Gavin Stone (2-1, 4.68 ERA) emerges as a notable presence, selected in the fifth round of the 2020 draft. His pitching repertoire revolves around a sinker/changeup combination, with an average fastball velocity of 95 mph. Interestingly, his four-seam fastball currently carries a -3 run value as per Baseball Savant data. This statistic raises hopes that Stone might provide the opportunity Ronald needs to reverse his fortunes against fastball pitchers.
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