Major League Baseball is entering its final stretch of the regular season, and some teams have already secured their spot in the playoffs. The Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers are among these teams, thanks in part to outstanding performances from their star players Ronald Acuña Jr., Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts.
The Braves and the Dodgers, who have a winning percentage of .659 and .629 respectively, will face each other in the last series of the regular season. This highly anticipated clash of the titans has already generated a lot of excitement among fans.
The first game of the four-game series will take place on Thursday, August 31 at Dodger Stadium. The Braves, led by manager Dave Roberts, will be visiting the Dodgers, who currently lead the National League East Division.
The starting pitchers for the game have been confirmed as Spencer Strider for the Braves and Lance Lynn for the Dodgers. Strider has had an impressive 2023 season with a 15-4 record and a 3.46 earned run average. He is looking to secure another victory in what could be his best month of the year.
Lance Lynn, on the other hand, has maintained a similar record as his rival, with a 4-0 record and a 5.56 earned run average. Both pitchers are expected to provide a tough challenge for the opposing teams.
Not only do the pitchers have credentials to bring their teams closer to victory, but both the Braves and the Dodgers also boast strong offensive lineups. The Braves rely on players like Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson, who have been carrying the team’s offense. Acuña Jr. leads the Braves with a batting average of .334 and has contributed 29 home runs, 61 stolen bases, and 119 runs scored.
Olson, on the other hand, leads the team in home runs and RBIs with 43 and 112 respectively.
The Dodgers, on the visiting side, have Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts as their offensive powerhouses. Freeman leads his team with a batting average of .338 and has amassed 25 home runs, 111 runs scored, and 89 RBIs. Betts has hit 36 home runs and driven in 94 runs with a batting average of .316.
All four players, Acuña Jr., Olson, Freeman, and Betts, are in the race for the National League MVP award and will be seeking to further solidify their case in these upcoming games.
With such strong lineups and talented pitchers on the mound, these games between the Braves and the Dodgers are expected to be filled with adrenaline and excitement. The outcome of these games could ultimately determine which team and players will be labeled as the best in the 2023 season.