Atlanta Braves Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (9/20 – 9/22)
By Brad Rowland
Sep 18, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Dan Uggla (26) high fives teammates after beating the Washington Nationals 5-2 at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
UPDATE: Jason Heyward has been activated from the disabled list, and is starting in Center Field on Friday. More to come.
Greetings! During the week, the Braves dropped a series in Washington to the Nationals, but they left DC on the strength of a series-closing win. Let’s take a look at what to expect when the team lands in Chicago.
Friday, September 20th – 2:20 PM ET – Paul Maholm vs. Scott Baker
There’s nothing quite like a series that features 3 day games, and with that, the Braves are playing a very rare Friday afternoon tilt at Wrigley Field. In the opener, the Braves will take on former Minnesota Twins hurler Scott Baker, and he’s been absolutely tremendous since coming off the DL for the Cubs. In two starts, Baker has allowed only 1 run over 11 innings, and it wasn’t a fluke either, as he has allowed only 6 baserunners over that time frame. Obviously, the 32-year-old right-hander isn’t quite that good, but he does sport a career 3.95 FIP over 969 innings in the Majors. It should be an interesting test for the Braves offense after an off-day.
For the Braves, Paul Maholm has been good lately, allowing only 6 runs over his past 17 innings (3 starts), and he returns to his old stomping grounds. I’d expect a decent outing from the left-hander here, and with a couple more, he’ll become a legitimate threat to get a post-season start in a Game 4 scenario. Lastly, this is an interesting spot for Fredi Gonzalez, as it would be tough to use a “rest” excuse with this lineup after a day off, and they’re facing a right-hander in Baker. Keep an eye on the lineup construction.
With a win and a Nationals loss, the Braves would clinch the division title, and that is very much in play on Friday afternoon.
Saturday, September 21st – 4:05 PM ET – Kris Medlen vs. Travis Wood
Kris Medlen has been the best pitcher on the team for a few weeks now, and he’ll get another opportunity to prove that here. Medlen has allowed 3 runs or fewer in 8 consecutive starts, and 2 runs or fewer in 4 straight. With that, he’s lowered his ERA to 3.32 on the year, and it seems like a lifetime ago when he was struggling mightily. Not so coincidentally, his control has improved, as he has only 10 total walks over his past 10 outings, and the change-up has returned to its full form.
He’ll be opposed by Travis Wood, who’s been the best pitcher on the Cubs this season. The left-hander has used smoke and mirrors to get to a 3.05 ERA on the campaign (4.48 xFIP), but to this point, it hasn’t caught up to him. This is a spot where we’re likely to see BJ Upton in the lineup (#playBJ), and Wood is the only lefty going in the series for the Cubs. Look for an Evan Gattis appearance as well, and the righty-dominant lineup will be on display.
Sunday, September 22nd – 2:20 PM ET – Julio Teheran vs. Edwin Jackson
In the finale, Julio Teheran gets the ball, and he hasn’t been ultra-sharp lately. Since he was skipped in the rotation, Julio has allowed 7 runs in 13.1 innings, and this will be an interesting test against what is a pretty mediocre Chicago lineup. We’ve all been operating under the assumption that Teheran would get the ball in Game 2 of the playoffs, but with Medlen pitching this well, that may be delayed by a day or two.
As far as the Cubs are concerned, Edwin Jackson is the same journeyman he’s always been. He has a 4.75 ERA this year with bad ratios (6.91 K/9, 3.02 BB/9) and he shouldn’t strike fear in the hearts of any Braves fan. If he is dominant, something has gone very wrong for the lineup.
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There you have it. The Cubs are a less-than-stellar 64-89 on the season as they enter this series, and they have little to play for. This is an opportunity to put the division away for good while making a sizable dent toward home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs. Let’s go.
Stay tuned for game-by-game analysis in this space as it happens!