Milwaukee Brewers vs. Atlanta Braves Pick & Prediction AUGUST 6th 2024

Preview and Prediction

Colin Rea of Milwaukee will take the mound as the Brewers kick off a three-game road series against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday.

However, instead of facing off against Atlanta's top pitcher Chris Sale, the Brewers will be going up against Braves right-hander Bryce Elder (2-4, 5.67 ERA), who was called up on Monday and will start the series opener.

The Braves, currently in second place in the National League East, won two out of three games against the NL Central-leading Brewers last week in Milwaukee. In fact, the Braves have had a strong record against the Brewers in recent years, going 5-1 against them in 2023.

Rea (9-3, 3.59) last faced the Braves on Monday and did not receive a decision after pitching 5 1/3 innings and giving up two runs on three hits. He also had two walks and six strikeouts. In his career, Rea has made four starts against Atlanta and has a record of 1-0 with a 4.70 ERA.

So far this season, Rea has started 18 games and has recorded a quality start in six of them. He has held opponents to a batting average of just .233 and has given up 16 home runs.

Elder was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett when the Braves placed right-hander Reynaldo Lopez on the injured list due to right forearm inflammation. Sale will start on Wednesday and Charlie Morton will be pushed to Thursday, giving both pitchers two extra days of rest between starts.

Last Tuesday, Elder was also called up for a start against the Brewers and he delivered one of his best performances of the season, pitching 6 1/3 innings and allowing just one run on five hits. He also had one walk and seven strikeouts. After the game, he was sent back down to Triple-A and has not pitched since.

Both the Brewers and the Braves are coming off of disappointing weekend series. The Braves have lost two games in a row after splitting a four-game series against the Miami Marlins. The Brewers, on the other hand, lost their last two games in a three-game series against the Washington Nationals and have lost four out of their last five games.

After Sunday's game, Milwaukee pitcher Tobias Myers expressed confidence in the team, saying, "I think we're fine. We're a competitive ballclub, so we're never going to give in. I think we just move on to the next series and get right back in there and compete."

Manager Pat Murphy also acknowledged the team's struggles, saying, "We're young and vulnerable and going through it a little bit. You can make all the excuses you want with injuries and inexperience, but we're going through it - and we've been going through it."

Milwaukee's Rhys Hoskins is currently on a 10-game hitting streak, his longest since he hit in 12 straight games while playing for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021. During this streak, Hoskins has gone 10-for-36 with four home runs and nine RBIs.

The Atlanta offense struggled in their series against the Marlins, scoring only three runs in the final two games. They were shut out on Sunday, marking the first time they have been shut out at home since August 28, 2021 - a streak of 231 games.

After the series, Braves manager Brian Snitker expressed frustration with the team's lack of scoring, saying, "It's frustrating that we didn't score any more runs than we did. Especially Saturday night. We were playing so well coming into this series, won the first two games and you're thinking, 'Great.' Then every time you get a foothold or something in this game, you get smacked in the mouth and you're right back having to get it going again. We'll take a well-deserved day off and get back at it."

PREDICTION

Milwaukee Brewers

4

5

Atlanta Braves

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Atlanta Braves Recap JUL 30TH 2023