Braves at Athletics
Dansby Swanson has struggled at times in his first full major-league season, but the Atlanta Braves' shortstop enters Sunday’s series finale at the Oakland Athletics after an impactful Saturday. Mired in a 1-for-16 skid midway through Saturday’s 4-3 victory, Swanson delivered a pair of go-ahead RBI doubles as the Braves survived blowing a two-run lead to win for the 10th time in 14 games, and are in position to sweep the three-game series Sunday and pull within one game of .500.
Atlanta (39-41), which will face a left-handed starter for just the ninth time this season Sunday, won in its final at-bat for the 13th time in 2017. The Athletics sit in last place in the American League West and defensive woes have troubled them all season. After not making an error in its previous five games, Oakland committed two Saturday to raise its major-league leading total to 73. Third baseman Ryon Healy went 3-for-3 on Saturday and is hitting .405 in nine interleague games this season.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FSN South (Atlanta), NBCSN California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Julio Teheran (6-6, 5.30 ERA) vs. A’s LH Sean Manaea (7-4, 3.87)
Teheran ended June with a thud, giving up seven runs on seven hits in just three innings while losing at home to Milwaukee last Sunday. That effort followed a three-start stretch during which the 26-year-old only allowed 16 hits in 20 1/3 innings while posting a 2.66 ERA. Teheran has done his best work away from home, going 5-0 with a 2.89 ERA in seven road starts.
Manaea sat at 1-3 with a 5.18 ERA at the end of April, but the 25-year-old has been outstanding since, going 6-2 with a 3.29 ERA and a .234 batting average against. He won at Houston on Tuesday, scattering nine hits but surrendering only one run in 5 2/3 innings. Manaea has won six of his past seven decisions and struck out seven or more hitters seven times in 14 starts in 2017.
WALK-OFFS
1. One game after his 11-game hitting streak ended, Atlanta CF Ender Inciarte finished 1-for-5 and ranks among the major-league leaders with 103 hits on the season.
2. Oakland's bullpen allowed three earned runs in three innings Saturday, raising its season ERA to 4.99.
3. Atlanta LF Danny Santana stole three bases Saturday and is batting .297 in his past 29 games.