Miami @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 24, 2018 ) Atlanta 3, Miami 9

The Atlanta Braves enter the opener of a three-game home series Monday against the Miami Marlins with a renewed sense of confidence after an outstanding Sunday in which Sean Newcomb nearly pitched a no-hitter and the team dealt for relief help in Brad Brach. The Braves, who begin the week 1 1/2 games behind Philadelphia in the National League East, saw Newcomb give up his first hit with two outs in the ninth and hope Brach helps stabilize a much-maligned bullpen.

The Braves have posted a 4.97 bullpen ERA since the beginning of June, hindered in part by a starting rotation that has struggled to pitch deep into games, but have added Brach from Baltimore and Jonny Venters from Tampa Bay in the past four days. Miami shook off a pair of blowout losses in the first two contests of a four-game home set against Washington by winning Saturday and Sunday, doing so with dominant pitching that surrendered just one run on seven hits across 19 innings in the pair of victories. Right fielder Brian Anderson continues to impress in his rookie season, finishing with two hits and two runs scored Sunday to give him a .306 average with 14 runs scored in his past 18 games. Atlanta’s right fielder is also hot, as Nick Markakis fell a triple shy of the cycle Sunday and begins the week tied with Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich for the NL lead in average at .320.

TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Miami), FS Southeast (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins LH Wei-Yin Chen (3-7, 5.65 ERA) vs. Braves RH Julio Teheran (7-7, 4.42)

Chen has endured a miserable season through 16 starts, posting career worsts in ERA and WHIP (1.49), but he has allowed three runs or fewer in four of his last five starts. The 33-year-old looks for a second consecutive strong performance against the Braves after holding Atlanta to three runs on five hits over six innings Tuesday for just his second victory since April 28. Chen has been dreadful on the road, pitching to a 10.47 ERA and a .359 batting average against while going 1-5 in eight starts.

Teheran continues to ride the rollercoaster of good starts and bad starts with little middle ground - the latest poor outing coming against Chen and the Marlins on Tuesday when he allowed seven earned runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. The 27-year-old has posted a 5.02 ERA in eight turns since the beginning of June, surrendering seven earned runs twice, five earned runs once and zero earned runs three times. Teheran features an ERA nearly three runs lower at night (3.15; 5.94 in day contests).

WALK-OFFS

1. Miami 1B Justin Bour is hitting .308 with 13 homers in 52 career games against the Braves and batting .412 with eight walks in 25 plate appearances against Teheran.

2. Atlanta reportedly plans to promote LHP Kolby Allard, the team’s No. 8 prospect by MLB Pipeline, to start Tuesday’s contest.

3. Marlins RHP Kyle Barraclough, who could be on the move before Tuesday’s trade deadline, has allowed seven runs on 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings across his last five appearances.

PREDICTION: Marlins 6, Braves 4