MLB Baseball: Atlanta Braves at Colorado Rockies
The erratic Atlanta Braves will try to avoid entering the All Star Break on a five game losing streak as they conclude the first half of the season against the Colorado Rockies in Denver on Sunday afternoon. Atlanta had pulled back into the ‘lead pack’ in the NL East before their recent skid but are now six games out pending Sunday’s action. The Rockies *had* been reeling prior to Atlanta’s visit but the Braves have been unable to take advantage of their recent poor form. Overall, Atlanta is 5-5 in their last 10 but as has been the case all season has been unable to find any consistency.
The Braves’ problem is their weak offense and that’s definitely been the case during the first three games of this series. Despite the thin air and high altitude of Coors Field, Atlanta has managed only eight runs in three games. Atlanta has lost money on the road this year (19-29 -3.3 units) but their ‘price to performance’ ratio is accurate for the first time in ages. Historically, the Braves have been overvalued in most settings but they might actually be undervalued on the road at this juncture. Atlanta will start lefthander Alex Wood who may be the biggest victim of Atlanta’s poor hitting–and particularly away from Turner Field. Wood has a tidy 2.43 ERA away from home but the Braves have managed to lose six of his eleven starts.
Wood and the Braves have a perfect opportunity to get back on the winning track here due to the Rockies’ abysmal performance against left handed pitching this season. Colorado is 4-14 -8.8 units against southpaws hitting .253 and averaging just 3.2 runs per game. That’s a full run less than their overall average and two runs less than their 5.2 per game home field average. Colorado will start Chad Bettis who has a 4.95 ERA and a 5.30 ERA at home. His numbers are bloated somewhat due to an abysmal performance in his last start where he allowed 10 earned runs to Anaheim in just under three innings of work.
Atlanta has a made to order scenario to end the first half of the season on a winning note and we get them as underdogs.
BET ATLANTA BRAVES +125 OVER COLORADO ROCKIES
