Atlanta rookie catcher Drake Baldwin will aim to continue his team’s momentum when the Braves host the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night in the third contest of their four-game series.
The Braves won 5-2 on Tuesday to hand Washington its seventh straight loss. The victory leveled the season record for Atlanta, which lost its first seven games of the year.
“Getting back to .500 and continuing the plan and knowing how good we can be,” Baldwin said. “We’re right back in it. Over the course of 162, it will continue to even out.”
Baldwin, who has split time behind the plate with veteran Sean Murphy, has been a big part in helping the Braves win seven of their last 10 games. He was 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and two RBIs on Tuesday to lift his batting average to .329.
The pitching matchup for Wednesday will feature Atlanta right-hander Bryce Elder (2-2, 4.97 ERA) against Washington left-hander Mitchell Parker (3-3, 3.97).
After being considered a placeholder in the rotation earlier this season, Elder has elevated his status. He has produced three quality starts in his last four outings and took the loss in his last outing Friday in a 3-2 decision against the Pittsburgh Pirates despite recording a season-high eight strikeouts. Over his last four starts, Elder is 2-1 with a 3.52 ERA.
“There’s going to be ups and downs,” he said. “I think in the past, I didn’t handle those downs very well, and I think I’m handling them better this year.”
Elder has made four career starts against Washington, going 2-1 with a 3.16 ERA. That includes a shutout in 2022 for Elder, who did not face the Nationals last season.
Parker will try to break a two-game losing streak that has seen his ERA soar from 2.65 to 3.97.
In Parker’s most recent outing on Friday against St. Louis, he allowed four runs on seven hits, two walks and five strikeouts in four innings of a 10-0 setback. He has been removed after throwing four innings in each of the last two games.
“This one wasn’t good,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said after Parker’s last start. “Mitchell again early on struggled with walks, fell behind.”
Parker said, “It (stinks) right now being in a skid. Like I said after the last game, not going to hang the hat on this one. Just going to keep pressing and try to improve.”
Parker has made two career starts against Atlanta, going 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA. The Braves are hitting just .167 in 13 1/3 innings with no walks and eight strikeouts versus Parker.
The Nationals placed second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. on the paternity list and recalled infielder Trey Lipscomb from Triple-A Rochester. Garcia is expected to rejoin the team Friday in Baltimore.
Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr. hit a home run in his first rehab game with the Florida Complex Rookie League team in North Port. Acuna told reporters he was planning to join Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday to continue his comeback.
–Field Level Media
