"The Braves have bounced back quite nicely through 41 games. Their 28-13 record and +87 run differential are both the best in MLB, as are their .270 team batting average, .450 slugging, 120 wRC+, and 3.14 ERA. You'll notice that most of those league-topping numbers come on the offensive end, making Colin Rea 's task a very tall one tonight."
"Rea has only given up more than three runs in one outing this season, and it came in LA against the NL team that comes closest to matching Atlanta's firepower. Rea must continue to keep the ball on the ground and work efficiently tonight for the Cubs to open the series with a win."
"Nico Hoerner is leading off at second, Michael Conforto is back in there as the DH, and Alex Bregman is at third. Ian Happ is in left, Seiya Suzuki is in right, and Michael Busch is at first. Moises Ballesteros has been swinging a very cold bat lately, but maybe catching will help him heat up. Dansby Swanson is at short and Pete Crow-Armstrong is in center."
"They're facing 30-year-old Grant Holmes, who looks like he's auditioning to play Danny McBride's stunt double in an Eastbound & Down movie. Or maybe Holmes is just a really big fan of former Cubs great Andrew Chafin. Either way, the curly flow and handlebar mustache give the Conway, South Carolina native some very serious throwback vibes."
The Cubs enter a trip to Atlanta after consecutive losses and a recent scoreless stretch. The Braves have rebounded strongly, holding a 28-13 record and a +87 run differential through 41 games, with MLB-best team batting and pitching indicators including a .270 average, .450 slugging, 120 wRC+, and a 3.14 ERA. Colin Rea faces a tough matchup, having allowed more than three runs only once this season, and must keep the ball on the ground and pitch efficiently to give the Cubs a chance to win. The Cubs’ lineup includes Nico Hoerner, Michael Conforto, Alex Bregman, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch, Moises Ballesteros, Dansby Swanson, and Pete Crow-Armstrong. They face Grant Holmes, a former Dodgers prospect who reached Triple-A, signed with Atlanta in 2022, and debuted in June 2024 as a reliever.
Read at Cubsinsider
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