The Scouting Report: Braves vs Rockies, Game Two

Lineups, pitching matchup, bullpen status, and what to watch this afternoon

It’s Atlanta Braves baseball! Let’s break down everything you need to know about this evening’s matchup.

Game Info

• First Pitch: 8:10 PM ET

• Location: Coors Field, Detroit, CO

• TV: BravesVision

• Radio: 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan

• Weather: 71° and mostly sunny, wind ENE at 8 mph

Atlanta Braves Lineup

RF Ronald Acuña Jr.
C Drake Baldwin
2B Ozzie Albies
1B Matt Olson
DH Michael Harris II
CF Mauricio Dubón
3B Austin Riley
LF Mike Yastrzemski
SS Jorge Mateo

Quick thoughts:

• This is, yet again, another new batting order, giving the Braves 23 on the season through the first 34 games.

• UPDATE: I genuinely don’t know why the Rockies are starting lefty Brennan Bernardino when two of Atlanta’s best hitters against left-handed pitching are the #2 and #4 hitter today, but hopefully the Braves can take advantage.

Colorado Rockies Lineup

LF Jordan Beck
CF Brenton Doyle
1B TJ Rumfield
C Hunter Goodman
2B Willi Castro
DH Brett Sullivan
3B Kyle Karros
SS Ezequiel Tovar
RF Troy Johnston

Quick thoughts:

• With Atlanta putting a lefty on the mound, Colorado transitions over to their lefty-optimized lineup, including walk machine Kyle Karros and centerfielder Brenton Doyle.

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Pitching Matchup

Braves Starter: LHP Chris Sale (5-1, 2.31)

Quick snapshot:

• 2.31 ERA / 3.01 xERA / 3.94 FIP

• 27.7% K / 6.6% BB / 21.2% K-BB%

Pitch mix:

• vs LHH: 45% slider, 31% sinker, 23% four-seamer

• vs RHH: 44% four-seamer, 41% slider, 15% changeup, <1% sinker

What to watch:

• Just like with Holmes yesterday, the only Rockies hitter who has notable success against Sale is centerfielder Brenton Doyle, with one of his two hits being a home run.

• Sale knows what Coors Field will do to his pitches; he made a start in Denver last April and struck out 10, walked none, and allowed only 2 earned runs over 7 innings. Atlanta lost that game, of course, because it was 2025 and so the Braves scored only one run while being three-hit.

Opposing Starter: TBD, but likely Chase Dollander (3-2, 2.25 ERA)

(Colorado hasn’t officially announced a starter, but it’s Dollander’s turn and they normally lead with an opener in his outings - he has seven appearances this season and only one start)

Quick snapshot:

• 2.25 ERA / 2.84 xERA / 3.05 FIP

• 30.0 K% / 6.9 BB% / 23.1% K-BB%

The arsenal:

• Four-seamer (38%, 99.0 mph)

• Sinker (22%, 98.5 mph)

• Slider (14%, 87.8 mph)

• Changeup (12%, 90.6 mph)

• Curveball (8%, 80.0 mph)

• Sweeper (6%, 85.8 mph)

How he attacked hitters (all graphics courtesy of Thomas Nestico)

vs LHH: Fastballs early, changeups when ahead, and 4S/changeup to put guys away

vs RHH: Well-mixed early, fastball heavy when behind, 4S/changeup to put guys away

Sequencing:

How to read a plinko chart: Each circle represents the usage of a pitcher’s arsenal in a given count (color key is on the bottom of the graphic). The thickness of the connecting lines reflects how often each count occurs, helping show how a pitcher navigates an at-bat.

What This Means for the Braves

• This is definitely a study in contrasts - the lefty Jose Quintana on Friday night has mostly the exact same pitch mix and utilization (minus Dollander’s addition of a slider), but Quintana’s throwing 90 mph heaters from the left side and Dollander’s throwing 100 mph gas from the right side.

• There’s no significant propensity to throw a first pitch strike here, so it’s going to come down to pitch recognition and being ready to handle velocity.

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Braves Bullpen Status

Likely available:

• Dylan Lee and Tyler Kinley have both had at least one day off and can pitch leverage innings tonight if needed. Carlos Carrasco was added to the roster today to replace Anthony Molina, so both he and Martín Pérez can cover bulk innings.

Used recently

• Robert Suarez covered the 9th last night on 17 pitches, but is likely still on the table for a second straight outing if Atlanta needs three leverage arms to finish out a win.

Potential limitations:

• Didier Fuentes had his first leverage innings last night, getting the 8th inning last night on just 15 pitches. IF Atlanta is looking to use him as a traditional reliever, he needs to learn to pitch a back-to-back but until that time comes, he might be down today.

Quick takeaway:

• Reynaldo López can potentially step in for a leverage inning if Fuentes is available, so Walt Weiss likely has every lever needed to lock up an early series win.

Opponent Bullpen Status

Likely available:

• All of Colorado’s top leverage arms - closer Victor Vodnik, breakout setup man Antonio Senzatela, and setup man Jimmy Herget - are all rested and available today.

Used recently:

• Flamethrower youngster Jaden Hill threw 19 pitches in his ill-fated inning, but can likely come back if Colorado needs his raw stuff to neutralize part of Atlanta’s lineup.

Potential limitations:

• Middle reliever Zach Agnos threw 25 pitches last night and is likely down for this one.

Quick takeaway:

• Colorado has the pieces needed to secure a win, as well as a fresh long man in Tanner Gordon to cover bulk innings if it’s a blowout.

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What to Watch Today

• Dollander’s been entering most often in the 2nd inning, giving him a reprieve from the top of the order in the first inning. Can Atlanta put Colorado in a hole before Dollander even starts his outing?

Final Thought

Atlanta’s a run-and-a-half favorite (FanDuel) in what’s expected to be a high-scoring game. Which ace falters first, the sidearming veteran Sale or the flamethrowing youngster Dollander?

Let’s Talk About It

If you’d like to also watch this, here’s the Braves Today live stream from this afternoon, after lineups were announced.