 with no outs. Atlanta got a run on Brian McCann's sacrifice fly and reloaded the bases when Ozzie Albies reached on an infield single that deflected off Farmer's glove. But the Tigers reliever escaped the jam when pinch hitter Charlie Culberson grounded into an inning-ending double play.After two straight strong starts, Atlanta's Mike Foltynewicz (1-4) had another rough night. His slider was dominating at times - he struck out eight - but too many mistakes up in the zone doomed the right-hander.That's a familiar theme. Of the 31 runs Foltynewicz has given up this season, 19 have scored on homers.''It was weird,'' said Foltynewicz, who surrendered seven hits and five runs in five innings. ''I thought I threw the ball pretty well, but the score says otherwise.'' Atlanta has been outscored 22-6 in its last two defeats.MORE RARE TERRITORYGoodrum was the first Detroit player to post at least five hits, four runs and three RBIs in a game since Carlos Pena on May 27, 2004.DEFENSIVE LSESThe Braves had a rough inning defensively in the seventh.Reliever Jerry Blevins made a terrible throw to first on an attempted pickoff, and Donaldson was charged with the second error of the inning when he failed to come up with a chopper down the third-base line.The Tigers wound up scoring twice, including an unearned run, to push their lead to 7-1.TRAINER'S ROOMTigers: 1B Miguel Cabrera left in the sixth inning with right knee soreness and was listed as day to day. He said the knee has been bothering him the last three games, but it swelled up against the Braves. ''We'll see how I'm feeling tomorrow and go from there,'' Cabrera said.Braves: OF Ender Inciarte isn't close to returning to the active roster. ''He hasn't started his baseball stuff yet,'' manager Brian Snitker said. ''He needs to come in a few days in a row feeling pretty good, amp up his running and things like that before we see him swinging a bat.'' Inciarte has been on the injured list since May 15 with a lumbar strain.UP NEXTAtlanta right-hander Mike Soroka (5-1) will look to continue his brilliant start to the season when he faces Detroit lefty Daniel Norris (2-3, 4.18 ERA) on Saturday afternoon. Soroka has yet to allow more than one earned run in any of his eight starts and comes in with a minuscule 1.07 ERA. He is just a few innings shy of qualifying for the lowest ERA in the majors.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/paul%20newberry---For more baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/apf-Baseball and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Tigers make first visit to Atlanta's SunTrust ParkFLMA pair of prized rookies will face each other on Friday when the Atlanta Braves host the Detroit Tigers in the opener of a three-game interleague series.The Braves boast outfielder Austin Riley, who is batting .375 with seven home runs and 20 RBIs in 14 games since being promoted from Triple-A Gwinnett. He will be tested by Detroit right-hander Spencer Turnbull, who has been impressive in his first 11 starts this season.Turnbull (2-4, 2.97 ERA) will have Atlanta righty Mike Foltynewicz (1-3, 5.67) as his mound opponent.The Braves most recently were swept by the visiting Washington Nationals in a two-game series. The Tigers took the final two in a three-game road series against the Baltimore Orioles earlier this week.Riley was the bright spot for the Braves on Wednesday in a 14-4 loss to Washington. He was the only Atlanta player with multiple hits, and one of them was his first career grand slam.The 22-year-old Memphis native needs three homers in his next three games to match the major league record for the fastest to double-digit long balls. Rhys Hoskins hit 10 home runs in 17 games for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2017.Riley said of his early success with the Braves, "It's cool to be part of a great franchise and the guys who have come through here. I think it's something I'll look back on in the next 10 to 15 years and appreciate." Turnbull lost his most recent start against the New York Mets because of one poorly played inning. A misplayed fly ball, a strategically placed bunt against an infield shift and a three-run homer by Adeiny Hechavarria helped send the Tigers to a 4-3 defeat. Turnbull pitched seven innings, gave up four runs and struck out eight."I thought he threw the ball great," Detroit catcher John Hicks said. "We would like to get that fourth inning back." Turnbull was the team's second-round draft choice out of the University of Alabama in 2014. He appeared in four games, three starts, in 2018 and went 0-2 with a 6.06 ERA. He has blossomed this season and become a fixture in the rotation.Turnbull has pitched well in May but has nothing to show for it. In five starts this month, he has a 3.45 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings, resulting in two losses and three no-decisions. Turnbull, who has never faced the Braves, is 2-2 with a 3.14 ERA in five road starts this year.Foltynewicz has put together strong back-to-back starts, indicating the veteran right-hander may be close to returning to the form that made him an All-Star last season.In 12 combined innings against the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals, Foltynewicz allowed three runs, two earned, with 10 strikeouts and no walks. He lowered his ERA from 8.02 on May 14 to 5.67."It looked like the old Folty," Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said after the St. Louis game last Friday. "I told him, 'You're getting back to where you were.' That's good to see." The Tigers will be visiting SunTrust Park for the first time. Detroit last came to Atlanta in 2016, when the Tigers played the Braves in the final series hosted at Turner Field.--Field Level Media
Looking for More Picks?
You can browse all the individual handicapper picks below.
Detroit Tigers
Atlanta Braves
Pick Center
MLB
FINAL (5/31/2019)
LegendNextDoor
