Atlanta Braves at San Diego Padres Preview: Mike Minor vs Eric Stults

The Atlanta Braves are reeling a bit after an unfortunate sweep in Los Angeles at the hands of the Dodgers, but fortunately, the opponent is significantly more vulnerable over the weekend. Atlanta took three of four from the San Diego Padres at Turner Field recently, and Friday (late) evening, the teams will rekindle their season series at Petco Park. Let’s take a look at the pitching match-up.

The Pitching Match-up:

Mike Minor has been a disaster this season. We have defended his work multiple times in this space (and with good reason), but a 5.23 ERA is difficult to support, even when it comes with an xFIP that is more than a run and a half lower. Against the Padres in San Diego, the stage is set for a bounce back, as he faces one of the league’s worst offenses in a massive ballpark, and his flyball tendencies are mitigated a bit.

In opposition, Eric Stults takes the mound for San Diego, and he is nothing exceedingly special. The 34-year-old has a strikeout rate of less than 6 batters per 9 innings for his career, and this season, that number has been magnified by the fact that he has allowed nearly two home runs per 9. Stults has posted an ERA over 5.00 this season, and unlike Minor, it doesn’t appear that luck has much to do with it. This is a strong match-up for the Atlanta lineup, especially in the debut of Emilio Bonifacio.

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The Particulars:

Date: August 1, 2014

Start Time: 10:10 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, $)

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The Predictions:

After both Carlos and myself were “right” in backing Clayton Kershaw on Friday, I’ve realized that it is no fun at all to pick the opponent. Alas, sometimes that is warranted.

Here’s what our records look like at the moment:

• Carlos: 5-1
• Brad: 3-3

Tonight, Carlos is picking Mike Minor and the Braves for a simple reason, and I quote him by saying, “because Padres”. I agree wholeheartedly, and it doesn’t help that Eric Stults is on the mound for the opposition. Let’s hope that Mike Minor can right the ship in the most pitcher-friendly ballpark in the big leagues.

Please feel free to sound off in the comments with your predictions for the game and feel free to rub it in our faces when you beat us on twitter (@ATLBeatBlog).