Braves vs Guardians Preview: Streaking Atlanta With Best Record in MLB

The Atlanta Braves, holders of the best record in Major League Baseball, visit the Cleveland Guardians for a three-game series starting Monday. The Braves vs Guardians preview notes that Atlanta has the best away record in the major leagues. The Guardians are 21-20 at home this season.

Atlanta brings an eight-game winning streak into this contest and have passed Tampa Bay in winning percentage. The Braves are 56-27 (.675) compared to Tampa Bay’s 57-30 (.655). The Braves are winning at home and on the road, beating both good teams and bad. Atlanta has flown under the radar a little bit this season due to Tampa Bay’s start out of the gate.

The Braves don’t have a weakness. Atlanta is No. 2 in team batting average and No. 1 in home runs. Texas and Tampa Bay have scored more runs, but the Rays have also played four more games than Atlanta. Atlanta leads MLB in slugging percentage.

The Braves are No. 3 in team ERA and the only National League to hold down a spot in the top seven. Atlanta’s bullpen has converted 28 of 41 save opportunities.

The Guardians are 41-42 but tied for the lead league in the AL Central. Cleveland’s biggest problem is no different than it has been the last couple of seasons. The team has no offense. Cleveland is No. 16 in team batting average, but No. 27 in runs scored. The Guardians have hit just 55 home runs on the season, the lowest total in Major League Baseball.

The pitching staff has kept the Guardians in games. Cleveland is No. 6 in team ERA, but have given a few away. The Guardians are 27 of 43 in save attempts, which is a little lower than you’d like to see.

Monday’s Game

In one of the better pitching matchups on today’s MLB schedule, Bryce Edler gets the start for Atlanta against Gavin Williams. The Braves are -155 and the total on the game is 9-under (-120). Williams has made just two starts in his MLB career, with the Guardians winning both.

He hasn’t earned a decision in either game, pitching a combined 12 2/3 innings and allowing four runs. His debut was a little shaky, allowing four runs in 5 1/3 innings against Oakland. But he allowed one hit over seven innings his last start against Kansas City. The Braves hitters are going to pose a bigger threat.

Elder is 6-1 on the season with an ERA of 2.44. Atlanta is 12-4 in the 16 games he’s started, allowing 3.0 runs per game. The Braves are 4-2 in his road starts, allowing 2.17 runs per game. Elder is more of a proven commodity than Williams. That makes it tough to go against him here.

Williams has pitched well, but probably saw AAA line-ups that rivaled Oakland and Kansas City. This is a huge step in class for him, but the Guardians are 4-2 as a home underdog this season for those who partake in baseball betting.

Tuesday’s Game

The Braves vs Guardians preview shows Kolby Allard and Shane Bieber the scheduled starters for the Fourth of July contest. Allard began his career with the Braves, but was traded to Texas. He struggled for the Rangers, going 8-22 for Texas before being dealt back to Atlanta.

Allard started the season on the 60-day disabled list and made his first start of the season on June 28. He pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out eight. He’ll be asked to try and get through about five innings here.

Bieber is having another solid season for the Guardians. He hasn’t been quite as dominating this season, but sports a 5-5 record and a 3.48 ERA. Cleveland is only 6-11 when he starts and have dropped four of his last five outings. The Braves vs Guardians matchup promises to be an exciting game as both teams look to secure a crucial victory.

The Guardians are scoring 3.47 runs when Bieber is on the mound. Cleveland has gone 4-3 in Bieber’s home starts. Bieber should be a small favorite in this one. But the questions still remain on Allard. Obviously, Atlanta wasn’t ready to give up on him and saw something they liked. But until he shows if his first start was a fluke, he’s tough to bet on.

Wednesday’s Game

After seeing a few quality starters the first two games, the Braves vs Guardians preview has both teams going to the bottom of their pitching rotation. Michael Soroko starts for Atlanta against Cal Quantrill for the Guardians. Soroko is 1-1 with a 6.89 ERA for the Braves. He’s made three starts and none of them have been impressive. But Atlanta has scored 26 runs in his three outings, so the Braves are 2-1 when he takes the hill.

Quantrill has struggled this season. He brings a 2-5 record into the game with a 6.16 ERA. The Guardians have won six of his 12 starts. But Cleveland has dropped his last four starts and have allowed six or more runs in each of his last five outings. This one may be obvious, but until the pitchers show signs of sorting things out, the over is the way to go on these two starts.

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