Braves Have Prime Opportunity for Series Win Against Oakland Athletics

The Atlanta Braves are facing Luis Medina from the Oakland Athletics, who is returning from injury and has struggled in his rehab starts.

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Luis Medina has allowed thirteen runs in just eight innings of rehab work prior to today's start. / Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves would love to win this series. 

After a frustrating May, once in which they had a losing record for the first time since 2022 and went just 4-4 in their eight full series in the month, hosting the Oakland Athletics looked like an opportunity to “get right”. But after a game-one win, Atlanta’s offense couldn’t come through with that breakthrough hit in a high-scoring affair, with Oakland winning Saturday’s matchup 11-9. 

Atlanta’s looking to take the series behind veteran Charlie Morton (3-2, 4.29), on the mound for his 11th start of the season opposite Luis Medina, making his first start of the season after a MCL sprain sent him to the injured list during spring training.

Lineups for the Atlanta Braves and Oakland Athletics on Sunday, June 2nd 

Here's how Atlanta will line up for the contest:

CF Michael Harris II
3B Austin Riley
DH Marcell Ozuna
1B Matt Olson
2B Ozzie Albies
RF Adam Duvall
LF Jarred Kelenic
C Sean Murphy
SS Orlando Arcia

Morton’s facing the Athletics for the first time as a member of the Braves - his last start came back in 2019 while with the Tampa Bay Rays. He’s got a good track record against Oakland - 1-0 with a 2.30 ERA in his last five starts - but very little of that experience translates over to the current Oakland lineup. Only five players on their roster even have an official at-bat off of Morton, and just two have hits - OF Miguel Andujar is 1-6 and infielder JD Davis is 2-2.  

Here's the Athletics lineup:

3B Abraham Toro
LF Miguel Andujar
CF JJ Bleday
DH Brent Rooker
RF Seth Brown
2B Zack Gelof
C Kyle McCann
SS Max Schuemann
1B Tyler Soderstrom

Medina, as we mentioned above, is making his season debut today after a right MCL injury sent him to the 15-day and then 60-day IL earlier this season. His rehab outings have not gone well so far this season, pitching a total of eight innings and allowing thirteen runs on fourteen hits, walking three and striking out ten. He's also shown some control issues, with four HBP and three wild pitches in just 46 batters faced.

Medina has never faced the Braves as a starter, and very few Atlanta hitters have seen him for an official at-bat: Adam Duvall and Jarred Kelenic are the only ones, and they’re both 1-3. 

How to Watch the Atlanta Braves and Oakland Athletics on Sunday, June 2nd 

This afternoon’s series finale is scheduled for a 1:35 PM ET first pitch. It’s being broadcast on Bally Sports Southeast and NBC-Southern California, with those out-of-market getting the game on MLB.tv. 

If you’d rather just listen, the Athletics radio broadcast is available on Bloomberg 960 AM/103.7 HD2, while the Atlanta Braves Radio Network has the standard broadcast on 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan and affiliates across Braves Country.