Braves vs. Reds: RHP Julio Teheran vs. LHP David Holmberg

Atlanta Braves (66-61) vs. Cincinnati Reds (61-66)

RHP Julio Teheran (11-9, 3.06 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, .233 OAV) vs. LHP David Holmberg (1-6, 4.64 ERA, 1.66 WHIP) at Triple-A Louisville

Thursday, August 21, 2014: 7:10 p.m. at Great American Ball Park

Having made his first All-Star team in 2014, Julio Teheran is in the midst of having the best year of his career. The 23-year-old flamethrower from Colombia is locked up long-term with the Atlanta Braves, signing an extremely team friendly 6-year/$32 million deal.

Teheran has received the decision in 10 of his last 11 starts, but for the first time all season, his ERA has jumped above three. This came after his most recent road start in Seattle where he allowed six runs in just six innings of work.

Back on April 27, Teheran threw a gem against the Reds. In eight innings he would yield only three hits and two walks, while not allowing a run and striking out eight. He would get just enough offense to put him in the win column as the Braves won 1-0.

Here is the lineup he will face via the team’s Twitter account:

CF – Billy Hamilton (1-for-4)

3B – Todd Frazier (0-for-5, 1 K)

2B – Brandon Phillips (0-for-6, 1 RBI)

RF – Jay Bruce (2-for-6, 1 HR, 2 RBI)

C – Devin Mesoraco (0-for-2, 1 BB, 2 K’s)

1B – Brayan Pena (1-for-3, 1 2B)

SS – Ramon Santiago (yet to face Teheran)

LF – Skip Schumaker (1-for-2, 1 RBI, 1 K)

P – David Holmberg (yet to face Teheran)

Having made just one start with the Reds this season, David Holmberg was summoned in what equates to an emergency start. With the effects of the rain out lingering from last weekend in Colorado, and Homer Bailey being on the disabled list, the Reds needed to summon Holmberg up from Louisville.

Holmberg made his debut for the Reds back on July 8 in a similar fashion. There was a doubleheader that forced him into a start—and he did not perform well. Going just 2.2 innings while allowing five earned runs on seven hits with three walks, Holmberg was bailed out by a late-inning Reds comeback that ultimately ended in walk-off victory.

If facing the listless Cubs within the confines of Great American Ball Park did not end well, then facing the energized Atlanta Braves who sit on the cusp of a playoff berth with a lineup full of sluggers may get downright ugly. The one thing the Braves do to their detriment is strikeout—unfortunately, Holmberg does not strikeout many batters (just 50 in 87.1 innings at Triple-A Louisville).

Here is the lineup he will face via the team’s Twitter account: (since none of the hitters in the Braves lineup have faced Holmberg before, in parenthesis are their career numbers against the Reds)

RF – Jason Heyward (.205 BA, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 14 K’s)

2B – Philip Gosselin (yet to face Reds)

1B – Freddie Freeman (.274 BA, 4 2B’s, 2 HR, 12 RBI)

LF – Justin Upton (.310 BA, .908 OPS, 7 HR, 19 RBI)

3B – Chris Johnson (.268 BA, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 37 H, 37 K’s)

C – Evan Gattis (.167 BA, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 7 K’s)

SS – Andrelton Simmons (.385 BA, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 28 TB in 39 AB’s)

CF – B.J. Upton (.152 BA, 17 K’s in 33 AB’s)

P – Julio Teheran

Entering the game, the Reds have the cloud of a five-game losing streak hanging over their heads. In sending an unstable rookie to the hill, it would be quite apropos of the way the Reds have performed this year for them to come out on top tonight. Tune in tonight at 7:10 p.m. on the MLB Network to see the Redlegs battle the Braves.