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The Atlanta Braves did just enough on Saturday night to extend their winning streak to eight consecutive games with a 5-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Atlanta are undefeated on their current nine-game road trip and will have the chance to complete a third straight sweep on Sunday.
This is only a small part of the Atlanta push. The Braves have now won 12 straight road games, tying the team’s modern-era franchise record of 1993-94 over two seasons. No other team has won more than nine consecutive road games this season.
More importantly for the Braves, they rose to the top of the NL East standings and will have a five-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.
Touki Toussaint will start in Atlanta on Sunday and will look to build on a good performance last time around. Toussaint allowed three hits, two runs and struck out seven strikes in 6 1/3 innings in his last start against the Marlins. While not as stuck as his first two starts of the season in late July, Toussaint gave the Braves a chance to give up two earned runs or less in five of his six starts.
“When he first arrived the first two starts were really good and the previous two in Triple A were really good,” Snitker said when asked about Toussaint’s progress leading up to Sunday. “I saw him make a few adjustments on the fly during games and then bounce back from a tough game here and there. I think the child is maturing and starting to understand some things. We all know the stuff out there, the ability to spin the ball, all that stuff and it just gets more and more consistent. “
The Orioles will counter with left-hander John Means coming off a tough outing his last time. Means only lasted four innings in his last start while allowing eight hits and seven runs, although only four were earned against the Rays. After a strong start to the season, Means entered the injured roster with a strained shoulder and struggled since returning with a 6.10 ERA (6.01 FIP) in his last six starts. This will be Means’ first career appearance against Atlanta.
The Braves placed wide receiver Travis d’Arnaud on the paternity list ahead of Saturday’s game, closing a 24-hour whirlwind for the veteran backstop. Rookie wide receiver William Contreras was recalled to take Arnaud’s place on the active roster and Snitker said on Saturday that the plan was for him to start Sunday’s game.
The series finale has a scheduled start time of 1:05 p.m. ET and can be seen on Bally Sports Southeast.
Game Info
Date / time of game: Sunday, August 22, 1:05 p.m. ET
Site: Oriole Park in Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD
TV: Bally Sports South East
Diffusion: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, WNNX 100.5, Braves Radio Network
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