Kelenic's Return Ignites Braves' Offense Against Marlins

The Atlanta Braves’ offensive juggernaut rolled into Miami looking to take the series against the Marlins on Saturday. With Jarred Kelenic reinserted into the lineup batting ninth and playing left field, the Braves aimed to keep their hot bats rolling.

Kelenic, who had been out with a minor injury, rejoined a Braves lineup that had been scoring at a torrid pace lately. In the previous game, Atlanta had hung eight runs on the Marlins’ pitching staff.

Marcell Ozuna, batting cleanup, has been red-hot over the last week, batting .395 with 4 home runs and 11 RBIs. Orlando Arcia has also swung a hot bat, collecting 8 hits in his last 15 at-bats while driving in 5 runs.

The middle of the Braves’ order has been a monster recently. Between Ozuna, Matt Olson, and Austin Riley, they have combined for 15 home runs and 37 RBIs in just the last 10 games.

While the offense has been pouring it on, Atlanta’s pitching has been solid as well, led by veterans Max Fried and Spencer Strider. The bullpen arms have held up their end too, with Raisel Iglesias nailing down 6 saves already.

For Miami, keeping the Braves’ bats at bay would require a Herculean effort from their starter Jesus Luzardo and the bullpen. Christian Bethancourt got the nod behind the plate, looking to provide a spark with his battling average over .300 so far.

As the warm Miami sun settled in over loanDepot Park, baseball fans were licking their chops for another slugfest between the NL East foes. Could the Marlins cool off the red-hot Atlanta bats? Or would Kelenic’s return provide another explosive offensive display? The series was hanging in the balance.