San Francisco Giants at Atlanta Braves 8/28/21 - MLB Picks & Predictions

The San Fransisco Giants, current holders of the best record in baseball, will open a series with the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. The Giants have won their last five games and seven of their last ten, narrowly holding onto a 2.5 game lead in the stacked NL West. The Braves have won eight of their last ten games and have built a strong lead into the final month of baseball, leading the NL East by 5 games.

Atlanta lost superstar outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. before the deadline and added a couple of pieces in the outfield to help negate that loss, they come into this series ranked 13th in team batting average hitting .242 as a team, and are eighth in scoring offense averaging nearly five runs per game. First baseman Freddie Freeman continues to be one of the best first baseman bats in the league with a team-high 27 homeruns, 70 RBIs, and hitting .296 on the season. Second baseman Ozzie Albies leads the team with 84 RBIs and has added 22 long balls on the season.

The lefty Drew Smyly will get the start for the Braves and has been very productive this season going 9-3 with a 4.54 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. The veteran Smyly just continues to find a way to win games this season, earning a win in his last start despite giving up three solo homeruns in 5 innings when the Braves beat the Orioles 5-4. Smyly didn’t issue a walk in that game and struck out eight as the Braves won the sixth straight outing when he gets the start.

San Fransisco and their team of solid contributing veterans are a top tier offense, as a unit, they’re top ten in batting average, .OPS, walks drawn, and a scoring offense averaging 4.86 runs per game. Shortstop Brandon Crawford is leading the team hitting .296 with 73 RBIs, while right-fielder Mike Yastrzemski leads the team with 20 homeruns. Catcher Buster Posey continues to produce despite nearing the wrong side of 30, hitting .314 with a .925 OPS (not enough at-bats to qualify) and the acquisition of Kris Bryant shouldn’t be undervalued.

San Fransisco will start the right-handed Logan Webb, he’s been dominant this season going 7-3 with a 2.84 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Webb has tossed just 98.1 innings after a stint on the IL, but has gone 6+ innings in his last five starts, four of which the Giants won. Webb tossed six innings in his last outing allowed just a single run on five hits and was able to send down seven while only walking one in a pitcher's duel 2-1 win.