On The Horizon: Cubs vs. Braves series preview

The Cubs actually won a game from the Braves in Atlanta in April.

Remember that? The Cubs winning games?

For more on the Braves, here is Kris Willis, manager of our SB Nation Braves site Battery Power.

The Braves are a much different team than what the Cubs saw back in late April. They will bring a 14-game winning streak into Friday’s opener which is one away from the franchise record. Ronald Acuña Jr. is back and playing right field on an every day basis and top prospect Michael Harris is now in the majors and manning center. An inconsistent offense has come to life as they set a franchise record with 13 home runs in their most recent series against the Nationals.

Atlanta did lose Ozzie Albies to a fractured foot earlier this week and he is expected to miss at least two months. Orlando Arcia has taken over at second base and is 7-for-9 with two homers in the two games since Albies went down. Dansby Swanson is riding a 10-game hitting streak and is hitting .379/.455/.586 in June.

Fun fact

The Braves are one short of their franchise-best winning streak, 15 in a row, set in 2000. Just 31 teams in MLB history have won 15 or more games in a row.

Probable pitching matchups

Friday: Keegan Thompson, RHP (6-2, 3.67 ERA, 1.245 WHIP, 4.61 FIP) vs. Charlie Morton, RHP (4-3, 5.67 ERA, 1.475 WHIP, 4.58 FIP)

Saturday: Justin Steele, LHP (1-5, 4.33 ERA, 1.463 WHIP, 3.22 FIP) vs. Kyle Wright, RHP (7-3, 2.57 ERA, 1.032 WHIP, 2.86 FIP)

Sunday: Kyle Hendricks, RHP (2-5, 4.95 ERA, 1.304 WHIP, 5.07 FIP) vs. Ian Anderson, RHP (5-3, 4.81 ERA, 1.461 WHIP, 4.52 FIP)

NOTE: This is the first time there hasn’t been at least one “TBD” in the probable pitching matchups in a BCB series preview (for a series longer than two games) since the Reds series at Cincinnati almost a month ago.

Times & TV channels

Friday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Saturday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Sunday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Prediction

Please don’t get swept again, Cubs.

Up next

The Cubs travel to Pittsburgh for a four-game series against the Pirates which begins Monday evening.

Here are the odds for the Cubs vs. the Braves As you can imagine, the Braves are favored this afternoon.