Julio Teheran could be having a career season if his teammates would help him out a little bit. The Atlanta Braves have been benefitting from the strong arm of the young star, but have failed to get things done at the plate when he is on the mound. Atlanta has been streaky over the past two weeks and after a blowout loss to the San Diego Padres on Friday, they need a bounce back in Game 2 as Teheran takes the mound again.
Teheran is the best pitcher in the Braves' rotation right now. He is 9-6 on the year with a 2.64 ERA, leading the team in ERA and strikeouts with 127 on the year. However, in 11 of his 21 starts, the Braves offense has given him just two runs of support or less. In his last start against the Miami Marlins, Atlanta managed just six hits total in the loss while Teheran tied a career high with 11 strikeouts and allowed just one run over seven innings.
The Braves' offense is a big concerned heading into the final stretch of the regular season. They put up a .196 average with 16 runs in a 1-4 stretch and only managed four hits against San Diego in Friday's game. There inconsistencies at the plate have always been an issue and the streaky might hurt them in the end.
The Braves face Odrisamer Despaigne who is coming off a near no-hitter after giving up two hits and one run against the New York Mets. The rookie is 2-1 with a 1.31 ERA. His arm could be warn out after the 123 pitch game, but his history of allowing just one run or fewer in five starts should speak well.
The Padres are performing at the plate, getting them ahead of Atlanta. As a team they are hitting .318 with 26 runs in a three-game stretch. On the season they are hitting .218 which is the lowest in team history.
