Arizona Diamondbacks at Atlanta Braves preview: July 4th baseball

There are very few things considered to be “more American” than baseball, and on July 4th, the Atlanta Braves are back in action at Turner Field. At the moment, the Braves are smoking hot after completing yet another sweep of the Mets, and they will put their season-long winning streak of seven games on the line on Friday evening against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Ervin Santana takes the ball for the Braves on this Independence Day, and he pitched quite well in his last outing against the Philadelphia Phillies. The big right-hander navigated 6.2 innings while allowing only two earned runs, and with the D-Backs struggling offensively, there is no reason to think that “Big Erv” could not build on that success. For the season, Santana holds a 4.05 ERA, but his true level is likely better than that, and that could begin on Friday.

On the opposite side, right-hander Josh Collmenter will be on the mound for Arizona, and he has been one of their better starting pitchers this season. The book on Collmenter stems from his ability to produce deception in his delivery, but he is not a high strikeout pitcher, which should benefit the sometimes free-swinging Atlanta lineup. After a day off, it should be the “A-Team” on the field for the Braves with the exception of the injured Evan Gattis, and that is always a good thing.

Enjoy the baseball, and have a great 4th!

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Here is a look at the particulars for Friday:

Date: July 4, 2014

Start Time: 7:35 pm ET

TV Channel: Fox Sports South

Radio: 680 AM/106.7 FM (Local in Atlanta), Full list of Local Affiliates

Live Stream: MLB.tv (Click Here, $)

Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@ATLBeatBlog) for more information (including all of your Atlanta Braves action), and check back after the game for a full recap. Sound off in the comments!