Braves vs. Giants, 06/22/17

MLB: Thursday, June 22, 2017 at 7:35pm EST

Line: Atlanta -136/San Francisco +126

Total: 9.5

The Atlanta Braves and the San Francisco Giants will wrap up a four game series Thursday afternoon from SunTrust Park. The Giants will give the nod to 32-year old right-hander Matt Cain, and the Braves will turn to 30-year old left-hander Jaime Garcia. The Giants currently lead the season series 3-2.

Cain Looks to Avoid Sixth Loss in Last Seven Starts

Matt Cain will get the nod for the 15th time of the season, searching for his first win in over a month. Cain pitched well in his latest outing, holding the Rockies to only two runs (one earned) in five innings of work and finished with the no decision. The 12-year veteran has been inconsistent this season, resulting in a 4.99 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP to go with a 3-6 record in 74 innings pitched. He battled the Braves last month and was terrific, allowing only two runs (one earned) in seven innings, and now features a 4-3 record with a 3.16 ERA in nine career starts against Atlanta. Matt Adams is 3 for 8 with three RBI’s against Cain, while Matt Kemp is 16 for 64 with four home runs, and Nick Markakis is 3 for 8. Eduardo Nunez is quietly putting together a strong month at the plate, hitting .361 with a .391 on base percentage. The 30-year old third baseman could record his first career .300 season, currently hitting .299 with two home runs and 25 RBI’s. Nunez is 5 for 15 with one RBI against the Braves this season.

The Giants continue to struggle at the plate, averaging only 3.71 runs per game, ranking them 29th in the Majors, and own a .241 team batting average. The San Francisco pitching has been below average, recording a 4.59 team ERA, placing them 20th in the Major Leagues.

Garcia Aims for Second Consecutive Win Over Giants

Jaime Garcia will make his 14th start of the season, looking to bounce back from his worst start of the season. Garcia served up six runs in 5.2 innings pitched to the Marlins in his latest outing, and managed to escape with the no decision. The veteran left-hander is having a terrific season, posting a 3.59 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP to go along with a 2-5 record in 82.2 innings of work. He took on the Giants last month and was outstanding, tossing 6.1 shutout innings, and now sits at 4-1 with a stifling 2.54 ERA in nine career starts against San Francisco. Brandon Belt is 3 for 10 against Garcia, while Buster Posey is 8 for 18, and Brandon Crawford is 2 for 10. Nick Markakis is having his best month of the season, recording 10 hits along with six RBI’s over his last eight games, and has now driven in 14 runs in June. The 33-year old right fielder is having a strong season, hitting .287 with two home runs and 38 RBI’s. Markakis has notched a hit in 5 of 18 at bats with one RBI against the Giants this season.

The Braves are hot offensively and are now averaging 4.69 runs per game, ranking them 19th in the Majors, and are hitting .269 as a team. The Atlanta pitching now owns a 4.60 team ERA, placing them 21st in the Major Leagues.

Trends:

The San Francisco Giants are:

under is 4-1 in Cain’s last 5 starts overall.

under is 12-5-1 in their last 18 games in the fourth game of a series.

The Atlanta Braves are:

under is 5-1 in Garcia’s last 6 starts overall.

under is 8-1-1 in their last 10 home games.

under is 6-0-1 in their last 7 home games against a right-handed starter.

I am taking the under in this contest. Cain held the Braves to just two runs (one earned) in seven innings last month, and he now features a strong 3.16 career ERA against Atlanta, so he should be able to hold them down. Furthermore, Garcia hurled 6.1 scoreless innings against the Giants in his start against them earlier this season, and he owns a tremendous 2.54 career ERA against the Giants, making the under a great play in this matchup.

Free Daily Lock Pick: MLB: NY Mets vs. San Francisco - June 23rd - (100% Confidence Release)

Pick: Under 9.5*