Welcome to the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves Series Preview.
Starting Tuesday, September 5, and ending Thursday, September 7, the St. Louis Cardinals face the Atlanta Braves for a three-game series in Atlanta.
This is the second meeting of the season for these two teams. The first came in April when the Braves swept the Cardinals in a three-game series in St. Louis. The Braves outscored the Cardinals by ten runs.
The Cardinals escaped with a win against the Pittsburgh Pirates after losing the first two games. This brings their record to 59-78, their worst record since they were 59-79 on September 3, 1978.
The Braves are 90-46 and have the best record in Major League Baseball. DraftKings lists the Braves as their favorite to win the 2023 MLB World Series.
St. Louis Cardinals vs Atlanta Braves Series Preview
Probable Pitchers
Tuesday: Miles Mikolas vs. Michael Soroka (6:20 PM CDT)
Mikolas is coming off a quality start in his last appearance. He allowed three earned runs in six innings off seven hits and two walks. Mikolas also struck out two of the 25 batters he faced. This brought his K/9 down to a career-low 6.13.
In his lone appearance against Atlanta this year, he allowed five runs in six innings off of nine hits and one walk while striking out six.
Soroka is a former top-50 prospect who has been up and down in the minors and majors this season. He’s made 23 appearances this year, six of which have been in Major League Baseball. He’s recorded a 5.52 ERA and 7.06 K/9 in these six appearances.
Wednesday: Dakota Hudson vs. Spencer Strider (6:20 PM CDT)
Hudson pitched seven innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates in his last appearance, allowing one earned run. He did not record a single strikeout but allowed three hits and one walk. Over the past month, Hudson has improved his control, which showed up in this one.
Strider is the ace of the Atlanta Braves and arguably the best pitcher in baseball. His 13.84 K/9, 2.81 FIP, and 2.87 xFIP lead all qualified pitchers. Strider’s Baseball Savant page is almost entirely red and listed as “great” in many categories.
Strider is known to have a dominant fastball, but his slider has been the pitch that is harder to hit. He’s recorded a 30% whiff rate with the fastball and 57.1% with the slider. He throws these pitches a combined 93% of the time.
Thursday: Adam Wainwright vs. Max Fried (6:20 PM CDT)
Wainwright is coming off his best game of the season, as he allowed just one earned run in six innings against the San Diego Padres. The retiring veteran allowed eight hits and three walks while striking out one batter.
Fried was the expected ace of the Braves staff, but after battling multiple injuries this season, has fallen behind Strider in the pecking order. However, Fried can easily dominate any opponent, as shown by his 2.52 ERA and 59.1% groundball rate.
The best part of Fried’s game is his pitch mix. He uses a blend of six different pitches (none more than 35%) to keep batters guessing at the plate.
Top Performers to Watch
Walker is showing why he was the top prospect in baseball coming into 2023. Since August 1, he is slashing .287/.364/.521 with 11 extra-base hits, 11 runs, and 14 RBI. Expect him to be a run producer against the Braves.
Edman holds a five-game hitting streak and has also recorded five stolen bases in this span. He’s scored four runs and three RBI.
Conteras has belted three home runs in his last four games, driving in four RBI. Contreras must hit a few more home runs if the Cardinals want to win this series.
Opposing Players to Watch
Ozuna is one of the best batters in the Braves’ lineup. Since the All-Star break, he’s slashing .308/.382/.651 with 28 extra-base hits, 35 runs, and 36 RBI. In this span, his walk and strikeout ratesare a solid 11% and 22.5%, respectively.
Acuna is the favorite to win the 2023 National League MVP award this season. He’s slashing .335/.416/.578 with 32 home runs, 123 runs, 85 RBI, and 63 stolen bases. The 25-year-old is currently the best player in baseball and the most exciting.
Riley has not done as well as Acuna and Ozuna recently, but Cardinal fans will remember him for a long time after he belted a 473-foot home run in Busch Stadium on April 3 against Jake Woodford.
Other News and Notes
The St. Louis Cardinals and Wainwright decided to push his previously scheduled start back for him to pitch in Atlanta during this series. Wainwright is from Brunswick, Georgia, and was drafted by the Braves in the first round of the 2000 MLB Draft. The veteran is sure to have lots of family and friends in attendance for his final game in Atlanta.
This is also a homecoming for the rookie Walker. The Cardinals drafted Walker in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of Decatur High School, just outside of Atlanta.
JoJo Romero has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to left knee patellar tendinitis. He has been operating as the St. Louis closer for a few weeks but has only recorded three saves. Look for Giovanny Gallegos and Ryan Helsley to share closing duties.
The Cardinals have reinstated Matthew Libertore from the injured list and announced he will be pitching out of the bullpen in his return. This means that Drew Rom will remain in the starting rotation for now.
Taylor Motter has been designated for assignment for the third time this season. He will likely clear waivers and be moved to Triple-A. Jose Fermin has been recalled and will take over Motter’s roster spot.
Projected St. Louis Cardinals Record This Series: 0-3
It’s not likely that the Cardinals will get a win in this series. The Braves have two top pitchers (Fried and Strider) and one of the best lineups the game has ever seen.
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