Lineup, how to watch the rubber match between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds

The Braves are sending Charlie Morton to the mound, looking to take the series in the Queen City

It's, objectively, been two really good baseball games to open this series between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds. 

Friday night's Reds victory featured tons of hits (23), runs (21), and homeruns (9), with six stolen bases, two first basemen going deep twice (Joey Votto and Matt Olson), and a cycle from the #1 prospect in all of baseball, Elly De La Cruz. 

Saturday's Braves win, while not as high-scoring, was still a one-run game with twenty-four hits, seven homeruns, and a late surge in the 9th by Cincinnati that Atlanta barely held off to preserve the win. 

Oh, and two sellouts that created a playoff-type atmosphere in Great American Ball Park. 

These two teams meet one more time, to decide the series, but it feels like a precursor to a playoff matchup (and that may be where we see those two teams match up again). 

The Braves are sending veteran Charlie Morton to the mound, while Cincinnati's plans are being shuffled - originally planning to start Ben Lively, he was put on the injured list after Saturday's game. 

Lineup for the Atlanta Braves

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

Sunday starters 🫡#ForTheA pic.twitter.com/pZJAP2KYks

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 25, 2023

As expected, Sean Murphy makes his return to the lineup from a hamstring injury, batting 5th. Marcell Ozuna (DH) and Eddie Rosario (LF) slot in at 6th and 7th in the lineup behind him, with Matt Olson, who has three homeruns in this series, batting cleanup for Atlanta.

Pitching Matchup for the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, June 25th

Starting for the Braves is Charlie Morton. 6-6 with a 3.71 ERA in his fourteen starts, Morton is striking out as many batters as usual (93 in his 80 innings, or 10.5 K/9), but has seen his walks tick up slightly this year, from 2.8 BB/9 in 2021 and 3.3 BB/9 in 2022 to this year's 4.1 BB/9. Given the ages of the Reds roster, very few of them have faced Morton, with one glaring exception: Joey Votto, 39, is batting .297 with seven RBIs (but zero homeruns) in thirty-seven career at-bats against Morton. 

Opposing Atlanta is Levi Stoudt. The 25 year-old is 0-1 with a 10.29 ERA in two appearances this season, one of those being an April start against the Tampa Bay Rays during their season-opening win streak. He's thrown seven innings, with eleven hits, eight earned runs, and four walks to six strikeouts. He's a last minute adjustment, as expected starter Ben Lively hit the IL on Saturday morning with a right pectoral strain. 

How to Watch the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, June 25th

First pitch from Great American Ball Park is at 1:40 PM ET, with Charlie Morton on the mound for the Braves. The game broadcast, with Voice of the Braves Brandon Gaudin, is available inside Braves Country on Bally Sports Southeast and is available on MLB.TV outside of the broadcast area. The radio call, with Ben Ingram, is available locally on 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan or outside the Atlanta market on the Atlanta Braves Radio Network or MLB.com.

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