Lineup, how to watch Atlanta's series opener with the Diamondbacks in Arizona
The Atlanta Braves, fresh off of a much-needed off day and past a tough May, face one of their toughest tests to date in an Arizona Diamondbacks team that's quietly been dominant.
Sitting half a game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the NL West, the Snakes are ten games above .500, are tied for 2nd in the NL (with the Braves) for runs scored per game at 5.04, and have the 2nd most stolen bases in the NL with 53.
Don't look past this three game set - it's going to be tough.
Lineup for the Atlanta Braves on Friday, June 2nd
Marcell Ozuna, who has been in a mini-slump to finish the month of May (1-20, with six strikeouts in his last five games) gets the night off, with Travis d'Arnaud serving as the DH and batting fifth behind Sean Murphy.
Atlanta Braves vs Arizona Diamondbacks pitching matchup for Friday, June 2nd
The Atlanta Braves are sending veteran Charlie Morton to the mound against Arizona. 5-5 on the season with a 3.59 ERA, he's the only pitcher on the staff to get a decision, one way or the other, in every single start this season. As a member of the Braves, Morton is 1-0 in three starts against the Diamondbacks, with a 3.50 ERA and seventeen strikeouts in eighteen innings. Several of these hitters have had success against him, with 1B Christian Walker being 2-5 with a HR and 2 RBIs, and 2B Ketel Marte going 2-7 with a HR and 2 RBIs.
Opposing Atlanta is Merrill Kelly. He's 6-3 on the season, with a 2.83 ERA in his eleven starts and a very nice sixty-nine strikeouts in his sixty-three and two-thirds innings pitched. He's 0-2 lifetime against Atlanta across three starts, with an ERA of 4.05. Several Braves have dominated him, with Ronald Acuña Jr going 3-5, Ozzie Albies, Kevin Pillar , and Austin Riley all having homeruns off of him, and Sean Murphy being a perfect 1-1.
How to Watch the Atlanta Braves vs Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday, June 2nd.
First pitch in tonight's action in the desert is set for 9:40 PM ET. The game broadcast, with Voice of the Braves Brandon Gaudin, is available inside Braves Country on Bally Sports Southeast and is available on MLB.TV outside of the broadcast area. The radio call, with Ben Ingram, is available locally on 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan or outside the Atlanta market on the Atlanta Braves Radio Network or MLB.com.
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