The Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers will open a three-game interleague series on Friday, with the two teams heading in opposite directions. The Braves, visiting Globe Life Field, are looking to snap a two-game skid in which they were outscored by a combined 18-3. Their most recent defeat was a 9-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants. Meanwhile, the Rangers enter the matchup on a two-game winning streak, capped by a 2-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
Friday’s pitching matchup presents a stark contrast. Atlanta will start Joey Wentz (1-0, 5.71 ERA), while Texas will counter with its ace, Nathan Eovaldi (7-3, 1.58 ERA).
Several key players will be under the spotlight. Rangers shortstop Corey Seager is currently batting .275 on the season but has been particularly effective in July, hitting .358 and recording at least two hits in nine different games this month. He continued this trend in Wednesday’s win, going 2-for-4 with a solo home run.
For the Braves, Ronald Acuna Jr. has posted solid season numbers with a .320 batting average and 13 home runs, but his performance has cooled recently. This month, he is hitting just .237 and has been held under 1.5 total bases in nine of his last 15 appearances, including an 0-for-4 outing on Tuesday against the Giants.
On the mound, Nathan Eovaldi aims to continue his dominant season. With 94 strikeouts and a stellar 1.58 ERA, his performance will be critical. He has surpassed 5.5 strikeouts in nine of his last 15 starts, highlighted by a recent outing where he fanned eight batters over 7.2 innings against the Houston Astros.
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