The Braves begin a two-game set in Arizona against the Diamondbacks with Julio Teheran on the mound in a 9:40 start. The game is on SportSouth.
Braves Lineup:
1. Martin Prado, LF
2. Jason Heyward, RF
3. Chipper Jones, 3B
4. Brian McCann, C
5. Dan Uggla, 2B
6. Freddie Freeman, 1B
7. Alex Gonzalez, SS
8. Nate McLouth, CF
9. Julio Teheran, SP
Diamondbacks Lineup:
1. Ryan Roberts, 3B
2. Kelly Johnson, 2B
3. Justin Upton, RF
4. Stephen Drew, SS
5. Chris Young, CF
6. Miguel Montero, C
7. Juan Miranda, 1B
8. Gerardo Parra, LF
9. Joe Saunders, SP
Julio Teheran (4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, K; AAA: 37.2 IP, 1.91 ERA, 2.62 FIP, 2.87 BB/9, 7.65 K/9)
vs.
Joe Saunders (46 IP, 5.48 ERA, 5.39 FIP, 4.85 xFIP, 4.7 BB/9, 4.89 K/9, 39.2 GB%, 6 SwStr%)
(63.9 FB%, 17.2 CH%, 10 CB%, 8.2 SL%, 0.8 CT%; 43.2 Swing%, 85.5 Contact%)
Teheran returns to the majors sooner than most expected in another spot start, this time for the injured Brandon Beachy. Teheran allowed three runs on four hits in 4.2 innings in his major league debut against the Phillies on May 7. He battled nerves and shaky command in the outing, but he showed flashes of brilliance that have made him the No. 1 pitching prospect in the game. The nerves should be a little better as he makes his second start in a less hostile environment.
Saunders has struggled mightily in his first full season in Arizona, and it shouldn't be that surprising. His ground ball rate has steadily decreased over the past three seasons while his home run rates are correlating with this, sporting a 12.3% HR/FB. Even worse is a spike in walks, almost matching his strikeout total through 46 innings. He has provided zero value for the Diamondbacks to this point.