Marlins at Braves
There have been plenty of trade rumors surrounding the Atlanta Braves and a perceived need for a third baseman, but Johan Camargo continues showing there is no need for a deal at that position entering the middle contest of a three-game home series Tuesday against the Miami Marlins. Camargo finished 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles in Monday’s 5-3 victory, and since the start of June is batting .278 with nine doubles, seven homers and 30 RBIs in 46 games.
Monday featured the continuation of Freddie Freeman’s assault on Miami pitching, as the Braves first baseman belted his sixth homer of the season against the Marlins and comes into Tuesday hitting .450 in 10 games against them in 2018. The Marlins did hit their first homer since July 24 (also against the Braves) as right fielder Brian Anderson belted a two-run shot in the first inning, but fell for the seventh time in 10 games against Atlanta this season. Miami third baseman Martin Prado finished with two hits Monday, and since coming off the disabled list July 5 the veteran is hitting .333 with 10 RBIs in 18 games. Catcher J.T. Realmuto went 1-for-5 with a double in the series opener to extend his hitting streak to six games for the Marlins, driving in seven runs during that stretch.
TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Miami), FS Southeast (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Dan Straily (4-4, 4.07 ERA) vs. Braves LH Kolby Allard (NR)
Straily makes his sixth start of July and hopes to cap a solid month, one in which he has posted a 2.84 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP while holding opponents to a .205 batting average. The 29-year-old has won just once this month, getting a no-decision Thursday against Washington after allowing three runs on five hits with six strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. Straily won back-to-back starts against Atlanta on May 11 and May 18, allowing two earned runs with 11 strikeouts across 12 innings.
Ranked as Atlanta’s No. 8 prospect by MLB Pipeline and No. 93 in all of the majors, Allard makes his major-league debut after excelling at Triple-A Gwinnett as a 20-year-old. Atlanta’s first-round pick in 2015, Allard posted a 1.21 WHIP at Gwinnett in 18 starts, walking only 33 hitters in 109 1/3 innings. Allard drew a no-decision in his last start in the minors on July 22, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits in five innings with six strikeouts.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Marlins, who are 15-24 against the NL East this season, play 37 of their final 54 games against division competition.
2. Atlanta LF Ronald Acuna hit his 10th homer of the season in the fifth inning, becoming the seventh player in franchise history to hit double-digit homers as a 20-year-old.
3. After Monday's game, the Braves traded three minor-league players for Cincinnati OF Adam Duvall.