The Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves matchup is quite interesting. The Braves, sitting comfortably at home with a batting-friendly ballpark, show why they have proved to be a formidable team this season. The Reds, on the other hand, are really going to have their work cut out for them.
The Reds will be headlining with Nick Martinez on the mound, who might want to play it safe after clocking a 3.79 ERA and a WHIP of 1.19. While over at the home team, the Braves are readying Charlie Morton, who hasn't been outdone with his 4.46 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. That shows a room full of improvement but let's not ignore the 9.7 K/9, the man knows how to chop them down.
Let's tip our caps to Reds' standouts Santiago Espinal and Ty France, swinging their way to .338 and .330 batting averages respectively! Jonathan India's home run record isn’t much to write home about, considering his meager batting average. On the Braves' side, we're seeing Marcell Ozuna batting like he's swatting flies with a .333 average. And watch out for Ramon Laureano with his 5 home runs, waiting on that curveball.
The recent face-offs of these two has seen quite a toss-up, but I would encourage you to remember not only the Braves' home advantage, but also their exceptional regular season record of 78 wins against the Reds' 69.
Basing on the recent results, the Reds unfortunately seem to be on a roller coaster with their performance, unlike the Braves. They have been proving their worth, taking 4 of their last 5 games.
Pull out the calculators, do the math and you'll find that this matchup is game for the Braves to lose. Reds might have their sparks but the Braves, they've been playing with fire.
Albert’s Prediction: Atlanta Braves by 2