Braves at Marlins
The Atlanta Braves are on quite a run away from home as they open a four-game series Thursday against the host Miami Marlins looking to extend their road winning streak to eight games. National League East-leading Atlanta improved to 13-7 on the road Wednesday by capping a two-game interleague sweep of Tampa Bay with a 5-2 victory and has outscored its opponents 41-6 during the seven-game winning streak while allowing fewer than two runs five times in that span.
Nick Markakis, who began Wednesday leading the National League in hits (45) and tied for second in batting average (.333), went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer in the victory. The Marlins return home following a 2-4 road trip that ended with a thud, as they were outscored 31-9 while being swept in a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs. Miami pitchers were hammered for 40 hits in the series, including seven home runs. Miguel Rojas finished 3-for-5 with a two-run blast in Wednesday’s 13-4 loss, while Brian Anderson is hitting .303 since April 20 after going 1-for-4.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), FS Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Mike Foltynewicz (2-2, 3.65 ERA) vs. Marlins LH Caleb Smith (2-3, 3.67)
Foltynewicz opened the season with a flourish, posting a 2.53 ERA while allowing only nine earned runs in his first six starts. But he began May with an ugly loss to San Francisco at home on Friday, surrendering six runs on nine hits and two walks in five innings – with all of the runs scoring in the second frame. Foltynewicz went 2-1 with a 3.08 ERA in five games (four starts) against Miami a season ago.
Smith struggled in the early going, posting a 6.89 ERA through his first four starts, but has been outstanding in three turns since. The 26-year-old is 2-1 with a 0.96 ERA and a .113 opponents' batting average in his last three outings, recording 26 strikeouts with just two walks and seven hits allowed in 18 2/3 innings. Smith struck out seven and walked one while allowing three hits in 5 1/3 scoreless innings of a win at Cincinnati on Saturday, five days after striking out nine in seven scoreless frames of a victory over Colorado.
WALK-OFFS
1. Miami OF Cameron Maybin left Wednesday’s game in the sixth inning with a slight hip injury but is expected to be available for Thursday’s series opener.
2. Atlanta pitchers had a 34 2/3-inning scoreless streak in road games – the longest such run in franchise history – snapped Wednesday with two outs in the eighth inning.
3. The Marlins have been outscored 69-59 at home, as opposed to 121-63 on the road.