The series opener between frequent postseason foes, the Dodgers and Braves, is Monday night at Dodger Stadium
Monday will represent the fifth full day of regular season baseball, and while literally all the other teams are sending out mid-level or bottom-of-the-rotation starting pitchers, the Dodgers have Tyler Glasnow on the mound in the series opener against the Braves at Dodger Stadium.
A few teams, like Houston with Ronel Blanco and the Phillies with Christopher Sánchez, are sending out talented and intriguing arms coming off impressive seasons, but that’s about it. Still, even those pitchers don’t come anywhere near the level of Tyler Glasnow who, when healthy, is perhaps the most dominant starter in the National League. The former Rays pithcer would undoubtedly be a shoo-in to start on opening day for many clubs.
In fact, even with all the quality in LA’s rotation, one could reduce Glasnow’s late regular-season debut to anything but skill. That being said, however the Dodgers set up its rotation, the pitchers making the starts at the fourth and fifth turns would have been well above average because this isn’t your run-of-the-mill rotation of a contending team.
Look no further than the Dodgers’ opponent, who’ll have old friend Grant Holmes taking the hill, a popular breakout pick in many circles. Holmes came up in June of last season and looked pretty solid, moving between the bullpen and rotation, pitching to a 3.56 ERA in nearly 70 frames. Holmes was also outstanding in spring, allowing three earned runs in 15⅓ IP.
Atlanta will roll into town having something to prove, coming off 22 consecutive scoreless innings as they suffered a four-game sweep at the hands of the Padres, including back-to-back shutouts in the final two matchups.
The Braves already went through a down year with the bat last season, at least for their standards, with established key pieces such as Austin Riley, Matt Olson, and Ozzie Albies all performing below their career norms. Facing off against the class of the National League, Atlanta will have to raise its game significantly to match up against the red-hot and better-rested Dodgers. While LA got the off-day on Sunday, the Braves squared off against the Padres on Sunday Night Baseball, setting up a quick turnaround in this west-coast trip.
Monday game info
- Teams: Dodgers vs. Braves
- Stadium: Dodger Stadium
- Start time: 7:10 p.m.
- TV: SportsNet LA
- Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)