On Thursday, the San Francisco Giants (42-44, third-place NL West) will play the final game of a three-game road series against the Atlanta Braves (46-37, second-place East). San Francisco beat Atlanta 5-3 to open the series Tuesday, hitting three home runs in the victory. San Francisco has won two in a row and six of the last eight. San Francisco is 11 games behind the National League West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. Atlanta has lost two straight after losing to the Giants on Tuesday and the Braves have lost four of the last six. Atlanta is second in the NL East but nine games behind the leading Philadelphia Phillies. San Francisco will be without eight pitchers as well as position players Wilmer Flores, Thairo Estrada, Jung Hoo Lee and Tom Murphy. Atlanta will be without seven pitchers as well as position players Ronald Acuna, Brian Anderson, Ramon Laureano, Michael Harris and Orlando Arcia.
This article was written before these two played Wednesday night.
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San Francisco is average at bat but struggling on the mound
San Francisco is 12th in batting average (.248) and on-base percentage (.317), 14th in runs scored (.385) and 15th in slugging percentage (.393). Matt Chapman has been the stat king for San Francisco, leading the Giants in home runs with 11, RBIs with 39 and hits with 76. Heliot Ramos is second in home runs with 11 and second in RBIs with 38. Thairo Estrada has 39 RBIs, tied for first, but he is injured. San Francisco has hit 143 doubles, 10 triples and 87 home runs to go along with 240 extra-base hits in 86 games.
San Francisco is 22nd in quality starts (27), 25th in ERA (4.48) and WHIP (1.35), and 28th in batting average allowed (.260). Logan Webb, who will start on the mound Thursday for San Francisco, leads the Giants in wins with 6, strikeouts with 97 and ERA for starting pitchers with 3.12. Webb is 6-6.
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Atlanta needs improvement at the plate but is strong on the mound
The Atlanta Braves are 12th in slugging percentage (12th), 16th in batting average (.242) and 18th in on-base percentage (.308) and runs scored (.357). Marcell Ozuna has been Atlanta’s statistical king this season with team-highs in home runs (21), RBI (67), hits (91) and on-base percentage (.379). Matt Olson is second in home runs with 12 and RBI with 41. Atlanta has nine players with 20-67 RBI. Atlanta has hit 158 doubles, eight triples and 91 home runs on 257 extra-base hits in 83 games.
Atlanta is in the top 10 in all four major pitching statistical categories. The Braves are fourth in ERA (3.50), sixth in quality starts (37), eighth in WHIP (1.21) and ninth in batting average allowed (.235). Chris Sale leads Atlanta in wins with 10 and strikeouts with 118, while Reynaldo Lopez leads starting pitchers in ERA with 1.83. Atlanta will start Charlie Morton on Thursday. The right-hander is 5-4 this season with a 3.89 ERA and 87 strikeouts.
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Thursday’s Best Plays
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Best Bets for San Francisco Giants vs. Atlanta Braves
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San Francisco has lost five of its last six road games and the Giants have lost six of its last nine road games against Atlanta. The Braves have won seven of their last 10 home games. San Francisco struggles on the mound with a 4.48 ERA, which ranks 25th, and its opponents are batting .260, which ranks 28th. By comparison, Atlanta has the fourth-best ERA on the team at 3.50 and the ninth-best ERA allowed at .235. San Francisco starting pitcher Logan Webb has allowed eight runs in his last three starts, which span 20 innings, with San Francisco losing two of three. Webb has struggled to control his game during that stretch, issuing six walks. Atlanta starting pitcher Charlie Morton has pitched well in two of his last three outings, allowing just two runs in 12.1 innings in his two good starts, interspersed with a below-average start, allowing just five runs in 5.2 innings. Atlanta has won two of those three games.
Prediction: Atlanta Braves ML
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Both starting pitchers have respectable ERAs, with San Francisco’s Logan Webb at 3.12 and Atlanta’s Charlie Morton at 3.89. The total has been below average in five of Atlanta’s last six games, in six of the Braves’ last seven home games and in four of San Francisco’s last five games played in July. Eight or fewer runs have been scored in each of San Francisco’s last five starts.
Prediction: UNDER