At 21-9, the Atlanta Braves are off to their hottest start to the season since 2000. It seems like we’re hearing a new and fantastical stat about how Good The Vibes Are Right Now at a clip not seen since the history-making offense of 2023.
Here’s some more fun numbers as we go into game 2 tonight: with last night’s win (on Snoopy night!), the Braves have won nine straight games versus Detroit dating back to 2023 and extended the longest active winning streak versus the Tigers in baseball. Even wilder, you have to go back to 2013 for the last time Atlanta has dropped a series to Detroit. Let’s keep a good thing going tonight, shall we?
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Drake Baldwin will DH while Jonah Heim is behind the plate as the battery mate for JR Ritchie. As we noted in the preview, Heim has the most ABs against Skubal and is 3-for-16. Maybe he’ll be a difference-maker in the nine hole.
Leadoff man Ronald Acuña Jr. may be heating up… it’d be great if the two XBH from last night got him going. Austin Riley moves up to fifth, followed by Mauricio Dubón. People are being quick to attribute Michael Harris II’s less-hot-than-we’ve-seen-lately night at the plate yesterday to his return to CF, but he was still 1-for-4. He’ll bat seventh tonight. Eli White will bat eighth and hopefully have a completely routine and normal night in left field.
The lineup for Tarik Skubal’s Tigers looks a little different. Rookie Kevin McGonigle will lead off. Gleyber Torres remains in the two hole, but will be followed by 3B Colt Keith. Riley Greene moves up a spot to bat cleanup. Dillon Dingler is still catching and batting fifth. New face Kerry Carpenter enters the lineup to play right field. With the unfortunate injury to Javier Báez, the Tigers will have Wenceel Pérez (of preventing-last-night’s-shutout fame) in center field and batting eighth.
A ninth series win for the Braves before the calendar flips to May would be pretty sweet. First pitch is at 7:15 pm ET.
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