ATLANTA -- Nolan McLean will return to the mound Thursday for his 24th start of the season against the Braves, carrying an 8-7 record and a 3.51 ERA into that game at Truist Park. He’ll be looking to bounce back from a rocky performance despite a win over the Guardians.
Last start: Just when it looked like McLean might be finding his groove, his inconsistencies resurfaced during a five-run blowup in Cleveland. As is typical when McLean struggles, he continually fell behind in counts, most notably when he went 3-0 on Nathaniel Lowe prior to a key three-run homer. It marked the fourth time this season McLean has allowed at least five earned runs in a game.
Stat to know: McLean is undefeated in his career when walking fewer than two batters in an outing (4-0 in seven such starts).
What he said: “Any time you’re winning baseball games, the vibes are always a little bit higher. I think just playing with the high energy we’ve been playing with … it’s really cool to see. Ideally, a better start out of me could help too.”
Next opponent: The Braves have never beaten McLean in three tries. He has held them to exactly two earned runs in all three of those prior meetings -- one last year, two this season.