The Detroit Tigers are staring down the barrel of a tough road sweep as they take on the Atlanta Braves in Game 32 at Truist Park. After a heartbreaking 4-3 loss on Wednesday night, the Tigers slipped below .500 and have now dropped four of their last five games. It's been a rough stretch for the Motor City squad, especially after failing to capitalize on a strong start from ace Tarik Skubal.
Now, the Tigers are turning to left-hander Framber Valdez to stop the bleeding and prevent a clean sweep that would leave them with a disappointing 3-6 record on this interleague road trip. To be fair, the Braves are playing like the best team in baseball right now, holding a two-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the overall standings. That's no small task for any opponent.
Valdez has been a solid presence on the mound this season, with the Tigers winning four of his six starts. However, he's only pitched seven innings once, and while he's generally kept runs off the board—except for one glaring outlier—his last outing against Atlanta was a struggle. Facing the Braves last September as a member of the Houston Astros, Valdez gave up five runs on six hits, including a home run, and walked four over just four innings in a losing effort.
On the other side, the Braves will send right-hander Bryce Elder to the hill. Now in his fifth MLB season, all with Atlanta, Elder was a fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft. He faced the Tigers in his penultimate start last season and was dominant, tossing seven innings of one-run ball on five hits (including a solo homer) while striking out seven to earn the win. Hopefully, past performance doesn't predict future results here.
Here's what you need to know for Thursday's early afternoon matchup, starting at 12:15 p.m. ET:
Game Details:
- Time: 12:15 p.m. ET
- Place: Truist Park, Atlanta, Georgia
- TV/Streaming: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV
- Radio: Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup:
- Tigers: LHP Framber Valdez (2-1, 3.41 ERA)
- Braves: RHP Bryce Elder (3-1, 1.95 ERA)
It's a tough test for the Tigers, but in baseball, anything can happen. Will Valdez bounce back and keep Detroit in the game, or will the Braves continue their hot streak? Grab your Tigers gear and get ready for an exciting afternoon of baseball!