The Atlanta Braves will face the Miami Marlins Tuesday, May 19, at LoanDepot Park at 4:10 p.m. ET with Ronald Acuna Jr. expected to start as the designated hitter after missing over two weeks with a hamstring injury [1, 2]. The Braves were shut out 12-0 by the Marlins on Monday, May 18, in the first game of their National League East series [1, 3, 2].
Atlanta leads the Major Leagues with a 32-16 record and holds a seven-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the division [1, 3, 2]. Despite the blowout loss Monday, the Braves have been strong offensively, topping MLB in hits (430) and slugging percentage (.439), even with contributions delayed from Austin Riley and Mike Yastrzemski [1].
Veteran left-hander Martin Perez (2-2, 2.25 ERA) will start for Atlanta against Miami southpaw Braxton Garrett, whose ERA stands at 33.75 after limited innings [1, 3, 2]. The May 19 game is expected to have a first pitch under retractable roof conditions.
SportsLine's model projects the total combined runs to fall near the 8.5 over/under line, with some forecasts favoring the under and others the over [3, 2]. Braves are -141 moneyline favorites to even the series [3, 2].
The Braves placed star catcher Drake Baldwin on the injured list May 19 due to an oblique injury, a setback that could impact their lineup depth [2].
Tuesday's game will mark Ronald Acuna Jr.'s first action since May 2, a key return for Atlanta’s offense. The Braves seek to rebound quickly after Monday's loss and maintain their hold atop the NL East with playoff positioning on the line [1, 2].
