Braves at Blue Jays
Matt Kemp and Nick Markakis are veterans who have played a combined 3,165 major-league games, and their offensive contributions in the middle of the Atlanta Braves lineup have steadied the team through a choppy start to the season. The Braves play the finale of a quick two-game set at the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, one night after Kemp finished 4-for-4 and Markakis drove home three runs in a 10-6 victory.
Kemp fell one hit shy of his career high to raise his average to .346, Markakis has hits in 10 of his past 11 games to boost his average to .308, and struggling rookie Dansby Swanson extended his hitting streak to seven games as Atlanta won for the third time in four games. The Blue Jays lost for only the second time in the past nine games and hit a franchise-record five batters Monday. Center fielder Kevin Pillar extended his hitting streak to five games and is batting .421 with seven runs scored in that stretch. First baseman Justin Smoak hit a two-run homer in the ninth, his fifth homer in the past 16 games.
TV: 4:07 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), Sportsnet (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves LH Jaime Garcia (1-2, 4.33 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Marco Estrada (2-2, 3.12)
While he has walked five hitters in each of his past two starts, Garcia nonetheless has kept the Braves in games as four of his six turns have been one- or two-run games. He lost at the Astros on Wednesday, giving up four runs on six hits in six innings, snapping a string of three consecutive starts with two runs or fewer allowed. Garcia, who makes his sixth road start of the season, has posted a 1.80 ERA while going 2-1 in three career starts against Toronto.
Estrada has helped the Blue Jays recover from a rotten start to the season, allowing two earned runs or fewer in five of his past six outings. He won for the second time in three starts in May on Thursday against Seattle, striking out eight while surrendering two runs on four hits in six innings. The 33-year-old, who is limiting opposing hitters to a .227 batting average, is 4-1 with a 2.95 ERA in 11 career appearances (five starts) against the Braves.
WALK-OFFS
1. Toronto OF Steve Pearce landed on the disabled list Monday with strained right calf, and the Blue Jays recalled RP Leonel Campos.
2. Swanson, who batted just .150 in the first 27 games of the season, is hitting .320 during his hitting streak.
3. Braves 2B Brandon Phillips is 9-for-25 with two homers against Estrada, while Blue Jays RF Jose Bautista is 2-for-8 with a homer and two RBIs off Garcia.