The St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves, both positioned as strong contenders in their respective divisions, are set to begin a crucial three-game series in Atlanta on Friday. The matchup comes as both teams look to bolster their playoff hopes in the second half of the season.
The Braves, currently 8.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East, hold the top wild-card spot, 3.5 games ahead of St. Louis. The Cardinals, trailing 4.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, will be aiming to close the gap and gain ground in the playoff race.
In their earlier meeting this season, the Cardinals won two out of three games against the Braves at home in June.
The series opener will feature St. Louis right-hander Sonny Gray (9-6, 3.34 ERA) against Atlanta right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach (3-4, 4.43 ERA). Gray has struggled recently, with a 0-2 record and a 6.06 ERA over his last three starts. In his most recent outing, he allowed three runs on nine hits in seven innings during a 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Historically, Gray has struggled against the Braves, holding a 0-3 record with a 3.38 ERA in six career starts against them. His previous loss to Atlanta came last season, when he gave up three runs in 6.2 innings.
In contrast, Schwellenbach is in solid form, having won his last two starts and posting a 1.38 ERA in July. He secured a 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on July 6 and improved further with a 6-1 win against the San Diego Padres on July 12, allowing just one run and three hits in seven innings.
Schwellenbach’s sole appearance against the Cardinals was a tough one, where he allowed four runs and eight hits in a 4-3 loss on June 24.
The Braves, determined to close the gap on the Phillies, are adopting a focused approach for the remainder of the season. “Truthfully, it’s focusing on more of a series at hand, just trying to win every series,” said Atlanta catcher Travis d’Arnaud. “That’s what playoff baseball is, winning the series to get to the next series.”
Despite facing significant challenges, including the absence of 2024 MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. (knee surgery) and Cy Young candidate Spencer Strider (Tommy John surgery), the Braves have continued to perform well, largely thanks to strong pitching. Manager Brian Snitker remains optimistic, noting, “I still think our best baseball is ahead of us.”
On the other hand, the Cardinals have rallied from a rocky 15-24 start, going 35-22 since. Manager Oliver Marmol expressed confidence in his team’s capabilities, stating, “We’re as good as anybody in the league… For the last two months, we’ve played the style of baseball we expect moving forward.”
Both teams are poised for an exciting and pivotal series as they aim to enhance their playoff positions.
