The Braves have done what they need to do against the formidable Dodgers to stay in the playoff race. The Mets blew Saturday’s game against the Phillies, so Atlanta is now tied for that final wild-card spot and just one game behind second place, currently held by Arizona. That said, they’re on a knife edge and need to keep producing results to get through.

Charlie Morton is on the road to Atlanta tonight and he’s a bit of a back-of-the-rotation pitcher at the moment, but he’s still very good. His K/9 is at its lowest since 2015, which was before his late-career renaissance, but he’s brought his walk rate down from a full-season career high last year. He’s also likely been the victim of some bad luck with HR/FB this season, but hopefully the baseball gods will favor him tonight. His curveball is still very good, but it’s not getting the whiffs it used to. Where he’s gotten into trouble this season has been with walks and homers, so if he can largely avoid those, he’ll give the Braves offense a fighting chance.

On the other hand, Walker Buehler gets the start, and he’s a complicated pitcher for Braves fans. He’s been great in the past for the NL rival Dodgers, but was in one of Atlanta’s best recent playoff stretches and has struggled since returning from Tommy John. His strikeouts have declined precipitously every season since 2020, and his walk rate is at a career high in his 59.0 innings pitched so far this season, now that he’s returned from Tommy John. He has a dismal 5.95 ERA and 6.09 FIP this year, but a more modest 4.63 xFIP. He’s certainly not the Cy Young candidate he used to be, and this seems like about a push or a Braves lean for tonight’s pitching matchup. If the Braves offense can show up, Buehler isn’t a pitcher they should fear in his current state.

Game info

Date/time of the match: Sunday, September 15, 7:10 PM ET

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

TV: ESPN

Streaming: no

Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM