Atlanta right-hander Kyle Wright will be hoping for clear skies as he takes his second stab at winning his 10th game when the Braves host the Washington Nationals in the middle contest of a three-game series on Saturday.
Wright got through four innings in his most recent start on Monday when a storm blew through the area and caused a two-hour, 37-minute delay. Wright had a 6-1 lead, but he did not return after the delay and had not worked the requisite five innings to earn the win.
“It’s a blessing in disguise, if you will, to have a little lighter workload and have less recovery time,” Wright said.
Wright (9-4, 2.91 ERA) will be opposed by veteran left-hander Patrick Corbin (4-10, 5.68).
Wright has allowed only two runs (one earned) over 11 combined innings in his past two starts. He has struck out 98 batters and walked 31 in 96 innings this season.
Wright has not faced the Nationals this year. In four career appearances (two starts), he is 1-0 with a 7.71 ERA. His win over Washington came is his most recent game against the club on Sept. 13, 2020.
Corbin is coming off two of his best performances of the season. In his start against Miami on Monday, Corbin gave up one run in seven innings and received a no-decision in a 3-2 loss. He beat Pittsburgh on June 28 after allowing one run in eight innings with 12 strikeouts.
“We had a really good slider and when you’re ahead they chase a little bit more,” Corbin said. “So I think a combination of all of that, staying out of the middle of the plate.”
Corbin has made 18 appearances (16 starts) against the Braves in his career, going 6-8 with a 3.95 ERA. He lost to Atlanta on April 12 when he allowed six runs in 2 2/3 innings of a game the Braves won 16-4.
The Braves won the first game of the series 12-2 on Friday and have won eight of their past 11 games. The Braves are 27-8 since June 1, the best record in the National League over that stretch. Washington has lost two straight and dropped eight of its past nine.
Atlanta leads the season series 5-2 and has won four straight against Washington.
Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr. emerged from a slump Friday night by going 2-for-5 with a home run. Acuna had not homered since June 21 and was mired in a 0-for-14 slump until driving a pitch from Erick Fedde 446-feet deep into the left-field seats in the second inning.
Juan Soto, Acuna’s Washington rival, went 2-for-3 in the opener with a walk, two RBIs and his 16th homer of the year.
The Braves will be without left fielder Adam Duvall for a couple of days. The team placed him on the paternity list and recalled outfielder Mike Ford from Triple-A Gwinnett. Ford is 0-for-4 with a walk in four games with Atlanta this season.
–Field Level Media