Pirates at Braves
This year's move to SunTrust Park has not made for an easy tradition for Atlanta Braves right-hander Julio Teheran, who has endured a string of nightmarish starts at home. Teheran was given an extra day of rest in preparation for his latest home start in the third of a four-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.
Teheran has put up jekyll-and-hyde numbers, posting a 1-4 record and a wretched 10.24 ERA at Atlanta's new stadium as opposed to a 2-0 mark and minuscule 0.71 ERA in four road starts. While Teheran is struggling at SunTrust, new acquisition Matt Adams is feeling right at home with homers in back-to-back games along with a walk-off single in Tuesday's 6-5 victory, the Braves' 10th win in 13 games. Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer, who exited the series opener due to discomfort in his right hand, was back in the lineup Tuesday and delivered a solo homer and go-ahead two-run single with two outs in the ninth inning. Tony Watson was unable to close it out, allowing at least three hits for the fourth time in seven appearances as Pittsburgh fell to 8-17 away from home in a crushing defeat that featured a rain delay of more than three hours.
TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), FSN Southeast (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Trevor Williams (2-3, 6.04 ERA) vs. Braves RH Julio Teheran (3-4, 5.47)
Williams will make his fourth start after making six appearances out of the bullpen. He was blasted for eight runs (six earned) over three innings in his first start but has pitched better in his last two, working five innings of one-run ball at Arizona and 5 2/3 innings of three-run ball versus Philadelphia. He fanned three in two scoreless innings versus Atlanta on April 9.
Teheran's SunTrust woes hit a nadir in his last start against the Toronto Blue Jays, when he was battered for a season-worst nine runs and served up three homers in three-plus innings. That followed a stellar outing at Miami in which he tossed six scoreless innings of three-hit ball. Teheran is 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA versus the Pirates after beating them with seven strong innings last month.
WALK-OFFS
1. Braves CF Ender Inciarte is 8-for-9 in the series.
2. Pirates CF Andrew McCutchen is 1-for-20 over the last five games, dropping his batting average to .200.
3. Adams, acquired from St. Louis on Saturday, has four career walk-off hits -- and three are against Pittsburgh.