Atlanta Braves vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Prediction 7-19-23 MLB Picks

The Arizona Diamondbacks and the Atlanta Braves meet in MLB action from Truist Park on Wednesday. The D-Backs will try to win the series with a game to spare while the Braves will try to bounce back after a 16-13 loss to Arizona in Tuesday’s thrilling series opener. Let’s dive into this matchup and make a pick.

D-Backs Strike First

The Arizona Diamondbacks came out of the all-star break flat after having led the NL West for the majority of the first half of the season and got their first win post-all-star break after the thrilling win on Tuesday. The game saw 7 lead changes, 13 different pitchers used and 6 total home runs combined, but it was the Diamondbacks who got the win. Arizona ranks 29th in team OPS and isolated power and 28th in wRC+ in the month of July. Christian Walker leads the Diamondbacks with 20 home runs and 63 RBIs while Ketel Marte has a team-high 97 hits and shares the team lead in batting average with Corbin Carroll as both Carroll and Marte each have a .286 batting average. The Diamondbacks’ offensive outburst was solid, but they’ll have a tough task here as Charlie Morton’s picked up his play as of late, going 5-0 with a 2.17 ERA in his last 5 starts.

Braves Fall Flat Again

It’s crazy to say, but the Braves have really fallen flat and have struggled to pick it back up after the all-star break following a 3rd straight loss on Tuesday and 4th in their last 5 games. The Braves will still be fine and will push for 100 wins, but it’s a bit of a shock to the system after Atlanta had been running roughshod through the MLB ranks for the better part of the last month and a half. In the month of July, Atlanta ranks 8th in team OPS, 4th in isolated power and 14th in wRC+. Matt Olson leads the Braves with 30 home runs and 77 RBIs while Ronald Acuna Jr has team-highs of 125 hits and a .334 batting average while leading the majors with 44 stolen bases so far this season. The Braves will be eager to get back on track, but Ryne Nelson hasn’t made it easy for opposing teams when he pitches on the road, with a solid 2.68 road ERA compared to his 8.08 ERA at home this season.

Chris’ Pick

I am looking at the under here. I think this has sneaky potential to be a bit of a pitcher’s duel, with how well Nelson’s pitched on the road and the issues that Arizona’s had at the plate combined with Morton’s current form in the last month as well as Atlanta’s issues post-all-star break. Give me the under in a first to 5 wins kind of game.