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Atlanta Braves End 2015 Season with Doubleheader vs. Cardinals

By Jonathan Savitske

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The Atlanta Braves will end their 2015 regular season campaign on Sunday in a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals after Saturday’s contest was postponed due to inclement weather.

Game 1 of the double dip will begin at 1:00 PM as Shelby Miller toes the rubber for the Atlanta Braves. Miller will be opposed by the Cardinals’ John Lackey. Shelby Miller will attempt to snap a streak of 24 consecutive starts where he has been unable to record a win — dating back to his near no hitter on May 17th in Miami. Lackey will not be an easy customer for the Atlanta Braves, as he has pitched impressively throughout the season.

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Game 2 of the doubleheader will begin 30 minutes after Game 1 ends, and will feature rookie Matt Wisler making his final start of the season for the Atlanta Braves. The St. Louis Cardinals will call upon the services of longtime Redbird starter Lance Lynn. After struggling for much of August, Matt Wisler has pitched superbly as of late. In his last start against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday, Wisler pitched 7 shutout innings and earned a victory. 

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While these two games may seem meaningless as far as the standings are concerned, there are implications for the Atlanta Braves in regard to next year’s MLB Draft. The Atlanta Braves record currently stands at 65-95, the third worst mark in the majors and are slated to pick third in the 2016 first-year player draft. The Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies have worst records.

If the Atlanta Braves are defeated in any of the two games on Sunday, and the Colorado Rockies (4th worst record) are victorious over the San Francisco Giants in their game, Atlanta will retain its third pick in the draft. However, if the Braves manage to sweep the doubleheader tomorrow, their draft positioning will change and they will pick 4th.

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As far as the MLB Draft is concerned, 1 slot down is not that much of a regression, as talent is spread out throughout the class. Still though, I’m sure President of Baseball Operations John Hart and GM John Coppolella would love to get their hands on the third pick in 2016.

As an added bonus for Sunday’s doubleheader, the Atlanta Braves can finish the season above .500 at home with a victory. Amidst a tumultous and disappointing season for franchise that has history of perpetually winning, this is a great silver lining to end the season with. It has been a long season to be sure, but with the Hot Stove right around the corner, let’s hope the Braves can end the campaign on a high note and get ready for a winning season in 2016. Go Braves!

Next: Adonis Garcia: Contender for Starting 3B Job in 2016?

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