On Friday night, the Atlanta Braves will begin a three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates at Truist Park.
Most recently, the Braves lost the series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays 7-2 on Thursday.
Austin Riley went 0-for-4 in the loss with a strikeout.
Atlanta Braves Announce Austin Riley Decision
Ahead of Friday’s series opener, the Atlanta Braves have announced their starting lineup.
Underdog MLB posted on X: “Braves 6/5 R. Acuña Jr. RF M. Harris II CF M. Olson 1B O. Albies 2B M. Dubón SS D. Smith DH A. Riley 3B M. Yastrzemski LF S. León C M. Pérez SP”
Third baseman Austin Riley is once again serving as the team’s No. 7 hitter. He was moved down in the lineup for the series finale against the Blue Jays. Friday’s game will mark only the fifth time this season Riley has batted 7th.
The two-time Silver Slugger has struggled offensively this season. He is currently batting .204 with 47 hits, eight doubles, eight home runs, 32 RBIs and 30 runs scored across 63 games. His .632 OPS is the lowest of his career. After three consecutive seasons from 2021 to 2023, Riley has not surpassed .800 OPS since.
Regarding Riley’s struggles, FanSided’s Eric Cole wrote:
“The truth is that he just looks completely lost and doesn’t understand why he can’t get to the pitches he used to or recognize pitches quickly enough to react to them. One month of that could be forgiven as working through the problem, but we are well past that now, especially if you count Riley’s struggles before his hernia last season.”
Braves Right Now
Despite missing Riley’s typical production, the Atlanta Braves remain atop the National League East and hold an 8.5 game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies. Additionally, they own the best record in MLB.
Left-hander Martín Perez will make his ninth start of the season in the series opener and 13th overall appearance. He enters Friday’s game with a 3-3 record and a 2.79 ERA across 51.2 innings pitched this season.
Pirates Right Now
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Pirates enter Friday’s game having won seven of their last 10 games. They are currently second in the National League Central, 4.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers.
Right-handed All-Star pitcher Mitch Keller will make his 13th start of the season for the Pirates. He enters Friday’s game with a 5-2 record and a 4.35 ERA across 68.1 innings this season.
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