The Boston Red Sox will try to snap their losing streak when they host the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night, with left-hander Connelly Early set to start for Boston and right-hander Bryce Elder scheduled to pitch for Atlanta. The game is set for 6:45 p.m. and will be televised on NESN and broadcast on WEEI-FM 93.7.
The Braves enter the matchup at 37-18 and continue to lean on a balanced lineup and strong road play. Atlanta’s starting order features Ronald Acuña Jr. in right field, Mauricio Dubón in left, Matt Olson at first base, Ozzie Albies at second, Austin Riley at third, Michael Harris II in center, Ha-Seong Kim at shortstop, and Sandy León behind the plate. Elder, who owns a 4-2 record and a 1.97 ERA, will take the mound for a Braves team that has been especially effective against left-handed starting pitchers.
Boston, meanwhile, is 22-31 and looking for a much-needed turnaround after a stretch in which it has been scoring enough runs to stay competitive but not winning consistently. The Red Sox lineup includes Jarren Duran in left field, Ceddanne Rafaela in center, Wilyer Abreu in right, Willson Contreras at first base, Masataka Yoshida as the designated hitter, Mickey Gasper at catcher, Kristian Campbell? no, Sogard at second, Marcelo Mayer at shortstop, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa at third. Early, a 4-2 pitcher with a 3.33 ERA, will make his second appearance against Atlanta this season.
Early’s previous outing against the Braves came on May 15 in Atlanta, when he pitched five innings and allowed two runs on five hits while striking out six and walking none in a 3-2 loss. That performance suggested he can keep the Braves in check if he locates well and avoids free passes.
Several Red Sox hitters have shown recent improvement. Duran has gone 11-for-37 over his last nine games, while Rafaela has been productive in his last 25 games, batting .302 with a .362 on-base percentage and an .893 OPS. Boston’s offense has also reached at least four runs in five of its last six games, but the club has won only twice in that span, underscoring the need for better late-game execution and run prevention.
Atlanta’s offense has been clicking as well, and several Braves hitters have favorable recent trends. Willson Contreras has been especially hot, batting .457 during a nine-game hitting streak. The Braves have also been strong on the road, winning four straight away from home and posting an MLB-best 20-8 road record. They are 17-5 against left-handed starters this season, including 10-2 in May, which adds to the challenge for Boston.
Elder has had some success against the Red Sox in his career, though he is 0-2 with a 4.05 ERA in two starts against them. The matchup presents a contrast between Atlanta’s steady, road-tested lineup and a Red Sox team trying to reverse its recent slide while relying on a young left-hander to deliver another quality outing.
