On Tuesday evening, baseball’s best team in the early going hosts a two-game stint against one of baseball’s biggest surprises.
The Braves currently hold the best record in the majors at 11-1. Meanwhile, the Royals are sitting atop the American League Central standings at 7-5 following a 4-2 homestand.
For Atlanta, this two-game tilt will be their second tough test in a row. They’re coming off a road sweep of the Washington Nationals, who were 8-2 on the season before taking on the Braves.
Both teams will be putting their No. 3 and No. 4 starting pitchers on the mound, so it will be important for each lineup to take advantage at the plate.
It is crucial for the Braves to remain consistent in the series. The Royals are a pesky team, but certainly beatable.
However, they are coming in with their emotions running high after avoiding a sweep against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. In that contest, Royals left fielder Alex Gordon hit a walk-off single to win the game 3-2.
If the Braves allow the Royals to come into town and beat up on them, it could easily take away all of the momentum that they have built up in the season’s first 12 games.
But sweeping two teams in a row that have winning records is a tough thing to do in baseball, at any point in the season. So if the Braves split the series with the Royals or even lose both games, they shouldn’t let that take away from the success they have had so far.
As for the Royals, they are looking to prove themselves early on an eight-game road trip that includes stops in Atlanta, Boston and Detroit.
If the Royals can grab a win or even two against baseball’s best team, they can gain some major headway going into the rest of the road trip.
However, if they allow the red-hot Braves to take both games, then it will be an uphill battle for the remaining six contests. The Royals have two tough series at Boston and Detroit after leaving Atlanta. Their three-game series against the Tigers will be extremely important, as the Tigers are tied with the Royals for first place in the AL Central.
The most crucial aspect for both teams will be their hitting.
At the plate, the Braves have been terrific to start 2013. They have scored four or more runs in eight of their 12 games, and have won three of the four games in which they didn’t. Atlanta’s top performer has been Justin Upton, who is hitting .348 and leads his team with seven home runs.
For the Royals, Billy Butler has been their top batter. He leads the team with 11 RBI and a .435 on-base percentage.
Kansas City’s biggest problem is runners left on base. Despite being seventh in team batting average (.269), the Royals are in the bottom half of the MLB in runs scored.
Bottom line, the Braves will want to keep up the momentum they’ve built up early in the year, while the Royals will be looking to turn the positive energy from a 4-2 homestand into a strong road trip.
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