Braves seek first series win of season in matinee behind Fried

After exchanging routs with the Nationals on Monday (lost 11-2) and Tuesday (won 16-4), the Braves have a change to notch their first series win of the year in an early afternoon contest that will close out the first homestand of the year.

Both starters in today’s game started their seasons with unfortunate outings. Max Fried, who pitched for the Braves on Opening Day, has a 7.94 ERA, 4.05 xERA, 2.34 FIP, and 3.59 xFIP after that outing — he had five runs charged to him despite a 5/1 K/BB ratio, in large part due to weak bloop hits. Josiah Gray’s line, meanwhile, has a 9.00 ERA, 4.30 xERA, 5.00 FIP, and 3.11 xFIP — the result of four runs in four innings, including a homer, but a 5/2 K/BB ratio. He started perfect through two innings, but left after allowing three straight to reach in the fifth.

At this point, neither starter is a stranger to the opposing team. The Braves faced Gray twice last year, in back-to-back starts, after he was acquired from the Dodgers in the Max Scherzer/Trea Turner swap — Gray had a sparkling 16/2 K/BB ratio in those two games, though the Braves crushed three longballs off of him in the second outing, two of which came the third time through the order. Fried started against the Nats six (!) times last year with a 4.08/2.82/2.96 pitching triple-slash; the Braves won all but one of those games.

Game Info

Wednesday, April 13, 12:20 p.m. ET

Truist Park, Atlanta, Georgia

TV: Bally Sports Southeast, MLB Network (out-of-market)

Streaming: MLB.tv

Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan