Strikeouts, bombs galore to be featured when Braves host Twins

Atlanta's got a test of their home-run hitting prowess this week versus Minnesota

After smacking 10 home runs in three games in Cincinnati, the 50-win Braves are running away with the major league lead with 138 homers, but that will be put to the test when the Minnesota Twins come to Atlanta to face the Braves for the first time since 2019.

Winning the homer battle will be key in this series, as the Twins live and die by the long ball. Not only do they hit them, they are one of the best teams at keeping the ball inside the yard.

The Twins lead the lackluster AL East division with a 40-39 record, and they feature some of the best starting pitching in the game, as they rank third in the MLB with 37 quality starts and a 3.67 team ERA.

They do it by keeping the ball in the park and striking out batters by the ton. Second to only the White Sox, the Twins pitchers have recorded 739 Ks in 2023, and have allowed just 77 home runs, fifth least in the MLB.

It will be key for the Braves to keep the ball on the ground, as the Twins offense is sluggish without the jolt of life from homers. Led by Byron Buxton (13), Joey Gallo (12) and Carlos Correa (11), they rank seventh in the major leagues with 102 homers.

But while the Braves are tied with the Rangers for the lead in team batting average at .271, the Twins are 25th in the league with a .241 average. The Twins swing and miss more than anybody in the MLB, with 799 Ks as a team.

After hitting 25 homers in their last three series, however, no other team will be harder to keep inside the yard than Atlanta. The Twins starters will be up to the challenge, nonetheless, as they allow just 1.05 homers per nine innings.

It will help the Braves to get past the Twins starters and into an injury-riddled bullpen.

The Twins are atop the MLB in starter’s WAR at 9.2, but their relievers are 16th in that category with a 2.1 WAR. Closer Jhoans Duran has been solid, converting on 11 of 13 save attempts with a 2-2 record and 1.45 ERA, but otherwise, they’re crippled by injuries. Setup men Jorge Lopez and Caleb Thielbar, as well as middle relievers Cole Sands and Jorge Alcala all occupy the IL.

The Twins starters definitely have the edge in experience, as their projected starters combine for 440 career starts, while the Braves have announced two starters who are in their first full seasons in the starting rotation with 59 combined starts.

Here are the pitching matchups for the three-game series in Truist Park:

Game 1, Monday at 7:20 p.m. EST:

-Spencer Strider (8-2, 3.93) vs. Sonny Gray (4-1, 2.56)

Matchup rundown: Runs will be hard to come by in game one with these two aces on the mound.

The Twins lead the MLB in strikeouts, and they are facing the MLB leader in strikeouts on the mound. Strider has 136 Ks and fans 14.5 batters per nine innings. He rebounded from giving up eight and five runs in his two prior outings with nine Ks in six innings of one-run ball last time out.

Spencer Strider was the fastest pitcher to reach 100 strikeouts in modern MLB history, doing it in just sixty-one innings to open the 2023 season  / Duncan Collins

Meanwhile, Gray has been one of the best pitchers in the AL this season and ranks fifth among all starters in ERA while only giving up two homers. At age 33, he has some of the best command in the game, as he strikes out 2.6 batters per walk and 9.3 per nine innings.

Game 2, Tuesday at 7:20 p.m. EST:

-Bryce Elder (5-1, 2.40) vs. Joe Ryan (8-4, 2.98)

Matchup rundown: Strikeouts might have a hard dropoff in game two, but both of these pitchers know how to go deep in the game. Ryan hurled a complete-game shutout last time out versus Boston, and Elder went seven shutout innings in a win over Philadelphia in his last start. Both pitchers lead their teams in quality starts – Ryan with 11 and Elder with nine. Elder has been one of the most pleasant surprises for Atlanta this season, owning the MLB’s third-best ERA.

Game 3, Wednesday at 12:20 p.m. EST:

-TBA vs. Kenta Maeda (1-4, 6.86)

Matchup rundown: Rookie A.J. Smith-Shawver was previously scheduled to start the game for Atlanta, but his demotion to AAA following Sunday’s game leaves the starting pitcher undecided for this game.

Maeda, 35, said he was back on track after his last start, his best so far in a poor season. He earned his first win of the season last time out after four consecutive losses. He went five scoreless frames with eight Ks against the Tigers, but he’ll have to face a bit of a stronger lineup this time around.

The latest

Both teams are coming off hard-fought series wins. The Braves took two of three versus the Reds: all games decided by one run. Atlanta is now 9-1 in its last 10 contests. On the other hand, the Twins needed 10 innings to take two of three from the Tigers to improve to 5-5 in their last 10 games.

Game one and three will be broadcasted on Bally Sports, while game two will be on TBS for the series between the 50-27 Braves and the 40-39 Twins.

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