Headed into this matchup, we find the Atlanta Braves making a little expedition to Cincinnati to school the Reds at the Great American Ball Park, a venue as friendly to batters as a diet is to a waistline. A delightful day out really, if you're holding the bat that is.
The Braves are poised to bring their A-game with Chris Sale on the mound. With Sale's ERA hovering closer to Earth's gravity than that of Aguiar's from the Reds', expect him to be slinging those fast balls like a well-oiled pitching machine. Few more appearances under his belt than Mr. Aguiar too, which might give him that holy trinity of coolness: confidence, calmness, and complete concentration.
Twirl the spotlight to the top players... and it's the Braves who are blessed to have Ramon "RBI-maker" Laureano and Marcell "No need for speed but I'll hit a home run anyway" Ozuna in their midst. Not that the Reds are any slouches with Tyler "Steady" Stephenson and Ty "France, not the country but could be" France doing the heavy lifting. It's going to give our eyes quite the spectacle!
Take a peek into the past and it's quite a see-saw between these two squads. Their last five matchups might bring up some mixed feelings or even heartburn if you're a hardcore fan. The Braves inched ahead with three victories, but let's not write off those Reds just yet. We wouldn't want premature confetti now, would we?
The lifetime achievement award, or the Regular Season Record if you will, goes to the Braves. The celeb list of recent slay-fests is a motley mix, with the Braves doing the last waltz victoriously against the Reds. Reds put up a good fight though, their recent victories over the Twins can't be overlooked.
Time to whip out that crystal ball! If my inner sage is right...
Albert’s Prediction: Atlanta Braves by 2