By: Emma Ann Lay
The Atlanta Braves will face Shohei Ohtani and his Los Angeles Angels tonight in Truist Park shortly after the Angels decided not to trade Ohtani before the trade deadline tomorrow.
The Braves are coming off a weekend sweep against the Milwaukee Brewers and will need to continue that momentum for the upcoming 3 game series against the Angels.
While the rest of the league wondered where Ohtani could land in a trade, Ohtani has been putting up extraordinary numbers as he is batting at .405 and averaging nearly 8 strikeouts per game.
Braves’ first baseman Matt Olson and third baseman Austin Riley combined for seven RBIs and four homers in the series finale against the Brewers last night, and hopefully, the Braves’ batting trend can continue for the series opener against the Angels tonight.
Although the Angels’ overall record is nowhere near competition for the Braves, Ohtani should still challenge the Braves with his overall athleticism whether batting, pitching or both.
Embed from Getty ImagesBraves pitcher Max Fried threw 79 pitches in a Triple-A game on Saturday in what hopefully will be his last rehabilitation game following a left forearm strain, but missing Fried may hurt the Braves this week against the Angels.
The Angels debated trading Ohtani for a free-agent deal in early July, but with the trade deadline tomorrow, it was announced last week that Ohtani was no longer for sale.
You can listen to tonight’s game in Atlanta on ESPN Charlotte 730 The Game at 7:05 pm EST immediately following 730 The Game Rewind with Mario Washington.
