Braves at Pirates
Getting an early lead pays off for the Pittsburgh Pirates, a recipe they will look to replicate again Tuesday when hosting the Atlanta Braves in the second contest of a four-game series. Pittsburgh improved to 16-0 when leading after six innings thanks to a three-run first-inning outburst in Monday’s series-opening 8-5 victory over Atlanta, the first of a 10-game homestand which features seven games against teams with a sub-.500 record.
Pittsburgh right fielder Matt Joyce gave the Pirates a jolt in the series opener, going 3-for-4 with a two-run homer, two runs scored and three RBIs to improve to 16-for-40 with five homers and 11 RBIs in his past 27 games. The Braves remain the only team in the majors with fewer than 10 victories – Monday’s loss dropped Atlanta to 9-28 on the season. Jeff Francoeur hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs and Kelly Johnson added a two-run shot in the loss, giving Atlanta 11 homers on the season and its first multi-homer game since the season opener April 4 against Washington. Francoeur brings a five-game hitting streak into Tuesday’s contest.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), ROOT (Pittsburgh)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Aaron Blair (0-2, 4.05 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Juan Nicasio (3-3, 4.34)
Blair is considered one of the key young pitchers in Atlanta’s future rotation, and while the 23-year-old has struggled with his control – 11 walks, seven strikeouts in 20 innings – he has showed tremendous potential at times through four starts. He gave up only four runs on eight hits in 11 1/3 innings across his first two big-league starts, but has surrendered seven runs (five earned) across 8 2/3 innings in his past two outings (a loss to Arizona and a no-decision against Philadelphia). His 3 2/3 innings Thursday against the Phillies represents the shortest outing of his brief career.
Nicasio has made the transition from reliever (52 relief appearances for the Dodgers a year ago) to starter with Pittsburgh and has prospered at home, going 3-1 with a 3.09 ERA in four starts at PNC Park. The 29-year-old got a no-decision Wednesday at Cincinnati, allowing four runs on four hits in six innings with five strikeouts. Nicasio has made nine career appearances against the Braves – including six starts with Colorado from 2011-14 – going 0-1 with an 8.44 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pittsburgh RF Starling Marte was placed on the paternity list Monday and will miss the first three games of the series.
2. Atlanta homered twice Monday in 35 at-bats, after hitting just four long balls in 445 at-bats in its first 13 games in May.
3. Pirates INF/OF Alen Hanson, one of Pittsburgh’s top prospects, struck out in the sixth Monday in his major-league debut.