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After a win on Saturday that halted a lengthy losing streak, the Atlanta Braves ended the weekend with a thud in the form of a 10-3 loss on Sunday afternoon. The team will be staying home to begin the new week, though, as the Braves will play host to the Miami Marlins for a three-game set beginning on Monday evening at Turner Field.
Mike Foltynewicz, fresh off a six-inning, one-run outing last week, will take the ball for Atlanta and each start for the 24-year-old represents a real point of interest. Foltynewicz hasn’t been terribly consistent in 2016, but he was excellent against the Nationals on Wednesday and that provides optimism.
In terms of the full season, Foltynewicz enters the evening with a 4.16 ERA (4.41 FIP) across 20 starts and 114.2 innings, and that is good for a 1.0 fWAR. The ceiling for the powerful right-hander is certainly much higher than this, especially in the strikeout department (currently 7.85 K/9) but stringing together back-to-back quality efforts would be a good way to build and Miami’s offense is capable of being tamed.
In opposition, the Marlins will give the ball to veteran right-hander Andrew Cashner, who has struggled to a 4.77 ERA in 117 innings this season. With that said, Cashner’s last start was a good one, as he allowed no runs while striking out nine against the Phillies, and he is capable of big things when everything goes according to plan. The Braves probably have a pitching advantage here, but it would be aggressive to state that it is more than a slight edge.
Atlanta “trails” Minnesota by only two games for the number one slot in the 2017 MLB Draft and that is, of course, another backdrop for this particular match-up. Still, it would be nice to see Foltynewicz good against a solid opponent and it is always more fun to root for prosperity. Stay tuned throughout the afternoon and evening and let’s do this together.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Monday, September 12, 2016, 7:10 pm ET
Location: Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: Fox Sports Southeast, MLB.tv (streaming)
Radio: 680 AM, 93.7 FM (Flagship in Atlanta), WYAY 106.7, Braves Radio Network