Milwaukee Brewers vs Atlanta Braves Prediction & Match Preview - May 7th | MLB Season 2022
The Milwaukee Brewers visit the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park this weekend for a three-game series. The Brewers hit the road with an outstanding 17-8 record. The defending World Series champions aren't quite so hot. They've lost four of their last seven games, damaging their record to a losing 12-15. However, this week they managed to win two out of four games against the MLB-best New York Mets. They outscored the southside New Yorkers 18-12, an impressive feat considering the Mets have the fourth best run differential in the league.
The Brewers carry the third best run differential in the league at +36. They sit comfortably atop the American League Central and have won seven of their last eight games. At the time of writing, they're two innings away from sweeping the Cincinnati Reds in a three-game road series. The formidable closer Josh Hader won National League Reliever of the Month in April. Simply put, the Brewers are hot.
Match Detail
Fixture: Milwaukee Brewers vs Atlanta Braves.
Date & Time: Saturday, May 7, 2022, 7:20 p.m. EST.
Venue: Truist Park, Atlanta, Georgia
Milwaukee Brewers Preview
Even without the former MVP Christian Yelich showing his maximum potential, the Milwaukee Brewers look like major contenders this year. Oddsmakers give them a 96.9% chance of making the postseason and a 7.7% chance of winning the World Series. That's higher than the New York Mets, whom oddsmakers have given a mere 0.8% chance of winning it all. Those numbers look skewed, but oddsmakers are good at what they do. The difference between those percentages speaks volumes about their faith in the Brewers lineup and the potential it has for making a deep playoff run. Las Vegas is warning you: Don't bet against the Brewers.
Key Player - Christian Yelich
Like many other stars in the MLB, Christian Yelich is starting to heat up. He's hit three home runs and batted in eight runs in his last six games. He's crushing a monster 1.237 OPS with a .368 batting average over that time frame.
Christian Yelich 108+ MPH exit velocity extra-base hits the past 2 seasons:
2020: 3 (in 58 games)
2021: 4 (in 117 games)
2022: 6 (in 25 games)
He came into todays's game in the 96th percentile for hard-hit % according to Statcast. https://t.co/j43wyPOZMv
"Christian Yelich 108+ MPH exit velocity extra-base hits the past 2 seasons: 2020: 3 (in 58 games) 2021: 4 (in 117 games) 2022: 6 (in 25 games) He came into todays's game in the 96th percentile for hard-hit % according to Statcast." - @ Brewers Stats and Updates
This is the dominant Christian Yelich we're used to seeing. He's now slashing .230/.322/.405 this season. Expect him to be a menace against the Braves as he battles to improve those numbers. He can change a game with one swing.
Milwaukee Brewers Projected Lineup
Starting Pitcher: Corbin Burnes (RHP)
- Kolten Wong (L) 2B
- Willy Adames (R) SS
- Christian Yelich (L) LF
- Andrew McCutchen (R) DH
- Rowdy Tellez (L) 1B
- Hunter Renfroe (R) RF
- Luis Urias (R) 3B
- Lorenzo Cain (R) CF
- Victor Caratini (S) C
Atlanta Braves Preview
Heading into this weekend series, the Braves find themselves in third place in the National League East division. They're six games back from the first place Mets and three games below .500. It seems unlikely at this point, but oddsmakers give Atlanta a 5.2% chance of defending their World Series title this season. That'll be tough for the Braves to pull off without Freddie Freeman, but keep in mind that they won it all last year without Ronald Acuna Jr. He returned to the lineup earlier this week after being sidelined with an injury since last season. He's an impact player, and he could quickly turn things around in Atlanta. Will this pivotal series against the Brewers be a turning point? We'll find out.
Key Player - Max Fried
Max Fried has been phenomenal this season. The 28-year-old lefty will carry a 3.00 ERA into his start on Sunday against former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes. Fried's best statistic is his miniscule 0.86 WHIP over thirty innings. If he's that good at preventing hits and walks, maybe he can stymie the potent Brewers offense.
Max Fried, Pretty 73mph Curveball. 😍 https://t.co/GTpydYOQnN
"Max Fried, Pretty 73mph Curveball." - @ Rob Friedman
The Brewers better watch out for his wicked 12-6 curveball. Fried likes to use it on two strikes in order to put batters away. He just needs to make sure he mixes things up enough.
Atlanta Braves Projected Lineup
Starting Pitcher: Max Fried (LHP)
- Ronald Acuna Jr. (R) DH
- Matt Olson (L) 1B
- Austin Riley (R) 3B
- Marcell Ozuna (R) LF
- Ozzie Albies (S) 2B
- Travis d'Arnaud (R) C
- Adam Duvall (R) CF
- Dansby Swanson (R) SS
- Guillermo Heredia (R) RF
Milwaukee Brewers vs Atlanta Braves Prediction
Despite the Brewers momentum going into this one, ESPN oddsmakers give the Atlanta Braves the upper hand with a 55% chance of winning. That still leaves the Brewers with a modest 45% chance of winning, which essentially means oddsmakers think this game could go either way.
We're going to side with the underdog Brewers for this one. Corbin Burnes' 1.93 ERA and 0.73 WHIP will largely silence the Braves offense. We still think Matt Olsen and Ronald Acuna Jr. will create some offense for the Braves, but Yelich will even that out with his hot bat. We predict a final score of 5-3 in favor of the Brewers.
Where to follow the Milwaukee Brewers vs Atlanta Braves
Watch: Bally Sports Southeast (Braves), Bally Sports Wisconsin (Brewers), MLB TV.