LEADING OFF: Braves try to do better with bats, Burnes tough

A look at what’s happening around the majors Monday:

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HOW BOUT A HIT?

Limited to a total of one hit in an entire doubleheader, Freddie Freeman and the Braves try to do better with the bats when they begin a set against the Cubs.

Freeman got Atlanta’s only hit in Sunday’s pair of seven-inning shutouts by Arizona. He singled in the sixth off Zac Gallen in the opener, then Madison Bumgarner pitched a no-hitter in the second game. Bumgarner’s gem won’t go into the official list of Major League Baseball no-hitters — MLB’s eight-man committee on statistical accuracy decided in 1991 that a no-hitter was a game of nine or more innings that ended with no hits.

Zach Davies (1-2, 8.80) starts for Chicago in the series opener at Atlanta.

The Diamondbacks off Monday. Merrill Kelly (1-2, 7.71) pitches on Tuesday when Arizona hosts San Diego.

BURNESING UP

Milwaukee right-hander Corbin Burnes looks to build on his impressive start and amazing K/W ratio when he gets the ball for the opener of a three-game home series against Miami.

Burnes has struck out 40 this season without a single walk. He takes a scoreless streak of 18 innings into the matchup.

“The biggest thing that I’ve done this offseason is the mindset," Burnes said. “It can be 3-0, I really don’t care. For me, it’s 0-0, it's 0-1, it's 0-2, I’m attacking. In pitcher’s counts, I’m going at hitters.”

Trevor Rogers pitches for Miami. Rogers is the first left-handed starter Milwaukee has faced this season. The last team to open a season with 21 or more consecutive games without facing a lefty starter was the Rockies at 23 games in 2006.

SHOHEI’S SKILLS

A day after hitting his MLB high-tying seventh home run to beat Houston, Angels star Shohei Ohtani takes the mound at Texas to face the...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/LEADING-OFF-Braves-try-to-do-better-with-bats-16128117.php