Braves feeling pressure in wild-card race with Reds up next

Braves feeling pressure in wild-card race with Reds up next

The Atlanta Braves will continue their fight for the final National League wild-card spot in when they open a three-game series against the host Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.

Cincinnati has had Atlanta's number in 2024, winning the first three games of the six-game season series between the teams. The Braves (81-69) must sweep this upcoming three-game set to avoid losing the season series with the Reds for the first time since 2019.

The Braves enter the Tuesday contest one game behind the New York Mets for the final wild-card spot after getting blown out 9-0 by the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday.

Trying to play spoiler, the Reds (73-78) will open their final homestand of the season by sending left-hander Brandon Williamson (0-0, 2.08 ERA) to the mound in the series opener. Williamson will be making his fourth appearance (third start) of the year.

In his latest outing, Williamson took a no-decision in a start against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, giving up one run on three hits in five innings.

Williamson has been one of many young Reds pitchers trying to show the front office and management that they can play a vital role in making Cincinnati a contender in 2025.

With right-handers Hunter Greene and Graham Ashcraft and southpaws Nick Lodolo and Andrew Abbott injured, Williamson, Rhett Lowder and Julian Aguiar have joined Nick Martinez and veteran Jakob Junis in helping Reds manager David Bell piece together a rotation to finish the campaign.

"He's doing it with his fastball, his cutter," Bell said of Williamson. "We know he's going to be good. He's getting an opportunity to show it. He did last year and it's just great to have him back out on the mound."

Williamson is in line for his first career appearance against Atlanta.

The Braves are planning to counter with rookie right-hander Grant Holmes (2-1, 3.79 ERA), who will be making his fifth start of the year and first since Aug. 14. He has come out of the bullpen eight times since then.

Holmes faced the Reds on Sept. 9, logging 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. The only other team he opposed Cincinnati came on July 24, when he yielded two runs in a 3 1/3-inning relief outing.

The Braves could be getting a boost for the final two-week run of the season that they hope will lead to a playoff berth.

Second baseman Ozzie Albies is scheduled to start a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday, according to Atlanta manager Brian Snitker.

Albies hasn't played since July 21, when he broke his left wrist attempting to tag a baserunner. He could return for a weekend series against the Marlins in Miami after the Braves finish up in Cincinnati.

"We'll just kind of, I think, take it a day at a time and see how he feels," Snitker said. "Right now he's scheduled to play second (in the minors on Tuesday) and Wednesday. If all that goes (well), I think he could join us in Miami."

Albies, a switch hitter, told reporters that he is still aching when swinging left-handed, so he will hit only as a right-handed batter when he makes his way back into the lineup.

--Field Level Media