coming to town, Odorizzi gets a Texas team thats below average against righties (93 wRC+) and has really struggload match

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves are giving themselves plenty of reasons to be hopeful about 2017, from a surging offense to improved young pitching.All of it was on display Wednesday night in a 12-2 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies.Freddie Freeman extended his hitting streak to 30 games. Matt Kemp hit a two-run homer. Little-used Daniel Castro had a career-best three RBI.On the mound, Mike Foltynewicz (9-5) pitched two-hit ball over five innings in his final start of the season -- and his first since leaving a Sept. 12 game against Miami after being hit in the left calf with a liner.When the atmosphere is like this, its definitely contagious, Castro, who was hitting .189 and had just four RBI for the season, said through a translator. The team feels good. You feel good.The Braves won for the ninth time in their last 10 games, building some momentum for their move to SunTrust Park next season. Since an 18-46 start, when they had the look of one of the worst teams in baseball history, theyve gone 47-46 under interim manager Brian Snitker.It was another high-energy, get-after-it game, Snitker said. I hope we keep adding to that.The Phillies are heading in the opposite direction. They lost for the fifth time in six games, prompting Ryan Howard and A.J. Ellis to call a team meeting that forced manager Pete Mackanin to huddle with the media in a tunnel outside the clubhouse.Its nice to see, Mackanin said. It means somebody cares.Adam Morgan (2-11) lasted five innings, giving up 10 hits and nine runs, the most hes allowed in a dismal season.Its all about pitching, Mackanin said. Pitching keeps you in games.Atlanta jumped ahead in the second when Dansby Swanson hit a run-scoring triple and Castro followed with a single. The Braves added three more runs in the third, with Swanson and Castro each contributing RBI hits, and really poured it on with a four-run fourth. Morgans throwing error allowed one run to score, another came home on a wild pitch, and Kemp finished it off with his 34th homer into the seats in left-center.Castro added another run-scoring single in the seventh, equaling his career high with three hits.Freeman extended the longest streak in the big leagues this season with a single in the sixth off Phil Klein. Freeman had been tied with Bostons Jackie Bradley, who put together a 29-game run in April and May.Freeman had already extended his on-base streak to 46 consecutive games when hit by a pitch in the third, equaling the longest this season in the big leagues. Washingtons Jayson Werth reached base in 46 straight games before his streak was halted Aug. 18.You just take it for granted with this guy, Snitker said of Freeman. Hes a machine.MEMORABLE HITAtlanta rookie Rio Ruiz, who spent most of the season in the minors, tripled in the eighth for his first big league hit.Its great to get it out of the way, Ruiz said. Its even better to get the win.THE REAL DEALFormer heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield took part in the countdown to the final game at Turner Field, pulling down a banner in left field to reveal 4 -- the number of games remaining at the ballpark and the season.Holyfield lives in the Atlanta area and was among those who carried the torch during the opening ceremony for the 1996 Summer Olympics. Turner Field was initially built as the 85,000-seat main stadium for the games, and then converted to baseball before the `97 season.TRAINERS ROOMPhillies LF Roman Quinn didnt play after leaving Tuesdays game with a strained left oblique. Its not known if hell get back on the field this season.Hes more scared than anything that its going to recur or that hes going to make it worse, Mackanin said. Theres no sense in him getting hurt with four or five games left in the season.UP NEXTPhillies: RHP Jeremy Hellickson (12-10, 3.78 ERA) goes against the Braves for the fourth time in his career. Hes 1-0 with a 4.08 ERA in his previous appearances.Braves: RHP Josh Collmenter (3-0, 4.19) looks to remain unbeaten in his third start for Atlanta.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry . Cheap Baseball Jerseys Good Quality . Collaros, 25, was solid last season, posting a 5-2 record as the starter while incumbent Ricky Ray was injured. Collaros also started Torontos 23-20 regular-season finale loss to Montreal — Ray didnt dress because the Argos had already clinched first in the East Division — but was one of three quarterbacks to play that day. Baseball Jerseys China . The Croatian served 21 aces and hit 42 winners against Sijsling, who double-faulted to give Cilic a 4-3 lead in the deciding set. "All the players, they know me and they were really happy to see me and they were really happy that this is over for me," Cilic said. http://www.wholesalejerseysbaseball.com/ . The third-ranked Ivanovic, who won the event in 2008 and 10, served five aces and broke Wickmayer, also a former winner in 2009, five times. "The result looked easier than it really was," Ivanovic said. Wholesale Nike Baseball Jerseys . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. Cheap MLB Jerseys . Philadelphia is 2-0 against the Senators this season and scored five goals in each victory. The Flyers recorded a 5-0 win in Ottawa on Nov. 12 and then earned a 5-2 home decision on Nov. 19. The Flyers have claimed three straight and four of the last five encounters with the Sens overall and Philly has won two in a row and three of its past four tests in Canadas capital city. Everyone can exhale -- the weekend is here. This Saturdays slate isnt the most stacked one weve seen, but with a pair of bona fide aces on top and a decent number of intriguing options in the middle and lower tiers, theres still plenty to like. Lets get started with the guy who figures to anchor most cash-game lineups.PitchingEliteMax Scherzer is the days top cash game play, and its really not close. Since June 1, the right-hander holds a 2.10 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 11.6 K/9. With a road matchup against the Braves, who have the worst offense in baseball against right-handed pitching, Scherzer is sitting pretty and should be locked into cash lineups. The only drawback is that the Braves arent a big strikeout team. Then again, with the second-best whiff rate in the majors, Scherzer carries double-digit strikeout upside into every matchup regardless of opponent.Chris Sale also finds himself in an enticing spot, facing off against an As team thats below average versus lefty pitching. However, he plays second fiddle to Scherzer on Saturday. The southpaw is still whiffing nearly a batter per inning this season (8.8 K/9), but thats a far cry from the elite whiff rates he has posted in previous years. Like the Braves, the As make a lot of contact, so while Sale will provide plenty of value in terms of run prevention, the strikeout upside is lagging behind what Scherzer brings to the table.SolidIts true that Felix Hernandez is no longer a fantasy ace. His strikeout rate has collapsed this season (7.7 K/9), and his 4.0 BB/9 walk is by far a career worst. That said, the right-hander been pitching better of late, as Felixs last four starts have seen him put up a 3.04 ERA with 30 Ks in 26 2/3 innings. Theres plenty to like here against a Brewers team that doesnt hit right-handed pitching well (86 wRC+) and whiffs at a bloated 26 percent clip.Its not often that youll see Robbie Ray highlighted as one of the days more intriguing options, but hey, thats what a matchup against the Padres will do. Ray has quietly been one of the games best strikeout pitchers this season, as his 10.9 K/9 ranks top-five in baseball. Pair that with a Padres team that strikes out 25 percent of the time against lefties, and youve got yourself a very appealing tournament play. Keep in mind, though, that while the Padres are one of the worst teams in baseball against right-handed pitching (82 wRC+), theyve actually hit lefties pretty hard this year (109 wRC+), so theres risk here in cash.After struggling in his first few starts with his new team, Drew Pomeranz has settled in with the Red Sox, posting a 2.37 ERA over his last three outings. In his last start, he gave up only two runs over 7 2/3 innings against the Indians, a team thats hard on left-handed pitchers. Still, its hard to feel great about Pomeranz matching up against the Tigers, who are above average against southpaws and have plenty of guys who can hit the ball out of the park. If youre considering Pomeranz as a tournament play, its worth nothing that, despite his 9.8 K/9, he hasnt whiffed more than seven in a game since May.Matt Moore owned a 7.5 K/9 with Tampa Bay before being traded, but he has whiffed 19 batters in 18 innings since joining the Giants. On Saturday, he gets a home date with a middle-of the-road Mets offense that whiffs 22 percent of the time versus lefties. Moore makes for a solid SP2 if youre paying up for your first hurler.Jake Odorizzi is on a nice little run. Over his last six starts, he has posted a 1.66 ERA and 1.05 WHIP, which includes three straight starts in late July and early August in which he didnt give up a single run. With the Rangers coming to town, Odorizzi gets a Texas team thats below average against righties (93 wRC+) and has really struggled offensively in August (85 wRC+). Hes in the cash game discussion.Aaron Sanchez draws a tough road matchup against an Indians team that doesnt go easy on righties (108 wRC+) and has been crushing in the second half (120 wRC+). So theres certainly no shame in simply avoiding Sanchez on Saturday. Of course, Sanchez has been matchup proof over the last few months. Over his last 10 starts, he has given up more than two runs only once, and that includes eight innings of one-run ball against the Rockies in Coors Field. He remains cash viable Saturday.StreamersDavid Phelps has made only three starts since joining Miamis rotation, but he has been impressive in limited action. While he hasnt pitched more than 5 1/3 innings in any outing, he has given up only three runs in 14 2/3 innings (1.84 ERA) and racked up 17 Ks. On Saturday, Phelps and the Marlins head to Pittsburgh to face a hot Pirates team that has won nine of its last 12 games. That said, the Pirates lineup has been middle-of-the-road versus righties this season and has actually been well below average since the All-Star break (88 wRC+), so this is a decent spot for the Marlins right-hander.dddddddddddd Phelps is ripe for the picking in 83 percent of ESPN.com leagues.A free agent in more than half of leagues, Ian Kennedy draws a home date with the Twins. The righty has been dealing of late, as he has given up only three combined runs over his last four starts. Hes also striking out nearly a batter per inning (8.9 K/9). The Twins offense has really been clicking in the second half (110 wRC+), but Minnesota has still been merely average against right-handers this season (99 wRC+). I like Kennedy as a streaming option and also think he has appeal as an SP2 in DFS.The big league debut for Luke Weaver was a bit of a mixed bag, as he lasted only four innings and struggled with his control. Granted, he was facing a Cubs lineup thats one of the toughest in baseball. The rookie will have some smoother sledding Saturday, as he lines up against the Phillies, who cant hit righties (82 wRC+) and are whiffing 23 percent of the time so far in the second half. Weaver still likely wont pitch deep into the game, but he should find success in this favorable matchup.AvoidA decent game score of 55 might draw some attention, but theres little reason to consider Hector Santiago on Saturday. While its true that the Royals offense hasnt been anything special against lefties this year, Santiago has been too much of a liability lately. He has failed to register a quality start in six straight outings, and the Royals are actually the team that roughed him up his last time out (7 ER in 4 IP). A struggling hurler with walk and homer issues is not someone in whom you want to invest.Despite posting Triple-A peripherals eerily close to what Jon Gray has done in the majors this season, its best to take the wait-and-see approach with Jeff Hoffman, as he makes his big league debut in Coors Field. Perhaps if he were facing someone other than the Chicago Cubs, the message would be different.HittingWith A.J. Griffin taking the mound for the Rangers on Saturday, its a good time to get some exposure to left-handed Tampa bats. Griffin has been torched by lefty hitters this season, giving up a .403 wOBA and 13 homers in 41 innings. Brad Miller, who has hit 23 of his 25 homers off righties, is the top play, and?Kevin Kiermaier, Logan Morrison and Corey Dickerson are options, too.Youll also want some exposure to Nationals hitters, who are squaring off against Tyrell Jenkins. The righty has put up a 5.06 ERA since the break, he has walked more than he has struck out, and both right- (.366 wOBA) and left-handed batters (.356) have hit him hard. Dont discriminate against Washington hitters without the platoon advantage: Theyre all in play here.Its not difficult to see the appeal in targeting hitters against Wily Peralta. After all, the right-hander owns a 6.00 ERA and 1.74 WHIP in 15 starts this season, and he has been clobbered by left- and right-handed hitters alike (.393 wOBA and .404 wOBA, respectively). Seth Smith, Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager are all intriguing options in this one. Take your pick.The usual small sample size caveats apply, but through six starts, Chad Kuhl has done a splendid job suppressing right-handed bats (.226 wOBA), but lefty swingers have consistently gotten the better of him (.374 wOBA). Well have to wait and see whether the trend continues long term, but its something to take advantage of for the time being. With the Marlins in town, take a look at Dee Gordon, Christian Yelich and Derek Dietrich.Brett Anderson made his season debut on Sunday after missing the first four and half months of the season as he recovered from back surgery. His return didnt go well, as he gave up five runs in only one inning before leaving the game because of a sprained left wrist. Anderson has been cleared to return to the mound Saturday in Cincinnati, but theres a good chance he still has some rust to knock off. As a result, I like right-handed bats Zack Cozart, Adam Duvall, Brandon Phillips and Eugenio Suarez in this matchup.Most likely to go yard: Brad MillerMiller has been scorching hot of late, batting .327 with 11 bombs in only 30 second-half games. Look for him to continue his home run onslaught Saturday against Griffin, who has been punished by lefties this year.Most likely to swipe a bag: Dexter FowlerRockies catcher Nick Hundley has been an easy target behind the plate this year, as hes thrown out just six of 46 potential basestealers. With the Cubs coming to town, the leadoff hitting Fowler is the most likely to pilfer a bag. ' ' '