Atlanta @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Apr 4, 2015 ) Baltimore 3, Atlanta 5
Nick Markakis will play his 687th career game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Monday, but his first in a visiting uniform as the Atlanta Braves face the host Orioles in the opener of a three-game series. The interleague matchup returns Markakis to Baltimore, for which the outfielder hit .290 in nine seasons before signing a four-year deal with Atlanta in the offseason.
Markakis, who averaged 15.6 homers per season as an Oriole, has slugged just one for the Braves while hitting .286. Atlanta snapped a three-game losing streak with Sunday’s victory at St. Louis, its first road victory in eight games. Baltimore won the final two games of a weekend set against Tampa Bay, scoring five runs in each victory after a four-game losing streak during which the Orioles totaled nine runs. Two Orioles bring nine-game hitting streaks into the series: Chris Davis (.305, three homers, eight RBIs during his streak) and J.J. Hardy (.312, five RBIs).
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves LH Alex Wood (7-6, 3.78 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Kevin Gausman (1-2, 5.18)
Wood began the second half by beating the Dodgers on Tuesday, allowing three runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings. After averaging 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings in each of his first two seasons, Wood has struck out 6.7 per nine innings this season while his ERA is a full run higher than last year’s mark. Wood has done his best work away from home, going 5-3 with a 3.11 ERA in 12 road contests.
Gausman moved into the Orioles rotation in late June, making three starts before being optioned to Triple-A Norfolk after allowing seven earned runs in 3 2/3 innings July 7 at Minnesota. He returned to the majors and took the loss Wednesday against the Yankees, allowing four runs on six hits in six innings. Gausman, who made eight appearances out of the Baltimore bullpen earlier this season, is 0-2 with a 5.57 ERA as a starter.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Braves have not played in Baltimore since losing two of three in 2009.
2. Davis is batting .288 since June 20, recording a hit in 25 of his past 29 contests, but leads the major leagues in strikeouts (121).
3. Atlanta 1B Freddie Freeman went 1-for-3 with a walk Sunday in his first start since June 17; Freeman missed 30 games with a bruised right wrist.
PREDICTION: Braves 4, Orioles 3