Previewing the Upcoming Braves-Tigers Series in Atlanta

The Atlanta Braves (30-26) come into this three-game set at home against the Detroit Tigers (21-32) losers of two-straight against the Washington Nationals, while Detroit is coming off a series win against the Baltimore Orioles.

For whatever reason, Atlanta has merely been a .500 team at home this year, while the Tigers are much better away from Comerica Park. Letting a limping Nats team come in and sweep the defending NL East champs in a two-game series was an indignity, making it imperative for the Braves to make a statement this weekend against a rebuilding Detroit team.

Here's a look at the pitching matchups for this weekend set at SunTrust Park.

May 31: RHP Spencer Turnbull vs. RHP Mike Foltynewicz

Spencer Turnbull appears to be a future anchor of the Tigers rotation. In 11 starts, the 26-year-old owns a 2.97 ERA with 62 strikeouts over 60.2 innings. He's coming off a seven-inning performance against the Mets in which he gave up 4 runs in seven innings and struck out 8.

After a rough start to his 2019 season, Mike Foltynewicz has been strong over his last two outings. The 2018 All-Star is 1-3 with a 5.67 ERA in six starts, but in his last two starts against Milwaukee and St. Louis, Foltynewicz has allowed just 2 runs with 10 strikeouts over 12 innings.

June 1: LHP Daniel Norris vs. RHP Mike Soroka

Daniel Norris can be hit or miss on the mound, as he's 2-3 with a 4.18 ERA over 11 appearances (eight starts). He's getting regular turns in the rotation now, and over his last two starts against Miami and Baltimore he's allowed a combined 4 runs with 10 strikeouts over 11.2 innings. He'll have to be on top of his game against a much better Braves offense.

How many more good things can you say about Mike Soroka? In eight starts this season, Soroka is 5-1 with an incredible 1.07 ERA. He's nearly unhittable every time he toes the mound, and against an offense that struggles to score, you shouldn't expect anything different from the phenom.

June 2: LHP Matthew Boyd vs. RHP Julio Teheran

The current ace of this Tigers rotation is Matthew Boyd, who in 12 starts is 5-4 with a 2.85 ERA and has 88 strikeouts over 72.2 innings. He's top five in baseball in strikeouts, and in his last start against the Orioles he threw six shutout innings with 8 Ks.

Julio Teheran has been a model of consistency this year, posting a 3.53 ERA over his 12 starts. He's been much more reliable recently, as he owns a 2.21 ERA over his last seven outings, including most recently against the Cardinals, when he tossed five innings and allowed just a single run.