Reds vs Braves Game One: Previews, Predictions, Predilections, and a Prevalence of Predators

The Reds are finally home from their onefer road trip and are set to play four against the hot-starting Braves. Though, of course, playing at home hasn’t been all that fun either, so this might not be any better. The Reds are 3-and-18 right now and are showing no signs at all of coming out of it any time in the near future. The seas have turned black and the skies red. Satan has returned to claim his throne and he is carrying a boombox on his shoulder blasting My Chemical Romance over and over and over.

Your pitching match-up has Sal Romano going for your Reds and Mike “no that’s okay I appreciate that you tried to pronounce it” Foltynewicz. The bad news about Romano is that he has walked 11 in his four starts. The worse news is that he has struck out 11 in his four starts.

Foltynewicz, on the other hand, has been an electro-charge disasternaut to begin the season. He has an ERA of 2.53 with a 3.35 FIP to match. He is getting a ton of whiffs and being generally dominant, which is right around average for the Braves’ rotation as a whole. Even Anibal Sanchez has thrown well for them this month.

Cincinnati Reds Starting Lineup

Atlanta Braves Starting Lineup (which is right up there, too)

Other Notes

• Eugenio Suarez remains the team’s leader in bWAR despite not playing in nearly three weeks.
• If Anibal Sanchez, also currently on the DL, was with the Reds this year, he would be pacing the pitching staff in bWAR. He hasn’t pitched in a week-and-a-half.
• The Reds will not play this poorly for much longer. All logic, statistical regression, good sense, and my poor optimistic heart validate this assertion.