"The Cubs will have their best starter, Shota Imanaga, going on Wednesday, but the Braves have Chris Sale scheduled to face Ben Brown on Thursday. So, bottom line there, if the Cubs want to win this series, they'll probably want to take the first two games."
"His first step into the rotation (this season) went about as well as you could hope, with 4.0 scoreless, hitless innings against the Rangers in Texas. Brown has always had the upside of a mid+ rotation starter, but now that he's got more than two pitches in the mix, he might finally be able to achieve that greatness."
"As for Shota Imanaga, he's been rolling, with two back-to-back great starts in a row (combined): 13.0 IP, 14H, 1ER, 4BB, 15K. The whiffs have been especially fun to see this season, and the fly ball rate, while still elevated, is much lower than it was last season."
"Holmes is a 30-year-old righty who's had some limited success in the big leagues, including a 3.99 ERA over 21 starts last season, but the numbers are down this year: 4.34 ERA, 18.1 K%, 10.6 BB%. He represents the best opportunity for a Cubs lineup coming off back-to-back shutouts to get back in the game."
The Cubs travel to Atlanta for three games against the top offense in baseball at Truist Park. Shota Imanaga starts Wednesday, while Chris Sale is scheduled to face Ben Brown on Thursday. The Cubs likely need to win the first two games to take the series. Ben Brown’s first rotation start produced four scoreless, hitless innings, and his expanded pitch mix could help him reach mid-plus starter potential. Imanaga has delivered consecutive strong starts totaling 13.0 innings, 14 hits, 1 earned run, 4 walks, and 15 strikeouts, with improved fly-ball tendencies. The Braves post excellent wRC+ marks versus both righties and lefties. Grant Holmes and JR Ritchie are also slated to pitch, with Holmes offering the best chance for the Cubs’ lineup after back-to-back shutouts, while Ritchie’s early results are strong despite high walk totals and low strikeouts.
Read at Bleacher Nation
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