Jonah Heim back behind the plate for Game 2 of Braves’ series in Arizona
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After last night’s offensive explosion which saw the Braves score nearly as many runs (17) as they had in their first six games combined (24), a left-handed starter on the mound for Arizona is forcing Atlanta to switch things up in the lineup.
With Eduardo Rodriguez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) taking the mound for the Diamondbacks, Ozzie Albies is up in the three-hole spot he’s consistently batted in against lefty starters this season. In a small sample size this season, the average splits have not been drastic for the switch-hitter (.300 vs. lefties, .294 vs. righties). But the slugging hits have been drastic, as he’s slugging .600 vs. lefties and .294 vs. righties with five hits, all of them singles.
Additionally, Eli White is back in the lineup hitting sixth and Jonah Heim will make his third appearance of the season behind the plate hitting ninth. It could have been an opportunity to give Baldwin an off night with Kyle Farmer 4-for-7 with a homer in his career vs. Rodriguez, but that would have denied Baldwin the opportunity to break the franchise record he tied last night when he scored a run for the seventh straight game to start a season.
Matt Olson is the only other Brave with a career homer against Rodriguez. Ronald Acuña Jr. is 2-for-6 with a double and three strikeouts, while Albies and Mauricio Dubon, who is back in the lineup batting seventh, are each 2-for-4.
The top four of Arizona’s lineup will remain the same for Thursday’s game, although Corbin Carroll will now be in right after DHing Game 1 while Gabriel Moreno will DH Friday after catching the series opener. Mason McCann, who pitched the ninth of Thursday’s blowout loss, will catch and bat seventh on Friday.
The drastic (and unfortunate) change for Arizona is promising young outfielder Jordan Lawlar being pulled from the lineup after it was revealed that he sustained a fractured wrist on a hit-by-pitch after hitting his first career homer earlier in the game. He’s been replaced by Tim Tawa (.204 career hitter in 206 career at-bats), who will hit ninth in the D-Backs order.
No Arizona hitter has faced Braves starter Grant Holmes more than five times. Moreno (2-for-5) and Alek Thomas (2-for-4) are the only player with multiple hits against him.
