Braves, Padres turn to young arms in series finale

Having already clinched their first series win at Petco Park since April of 2011, the Atlanta Braves go for a three-game sweep Sunday in a matchup of former first-round draft picks.

Braves Rookie of the Year candidate Mike Soroka (9-1, 2.42 ERA) will oppose the Padres' Cal Quantrill (2-2, 4.83).

The 6-foot-5 Soroka, who turns 22 on Aug. 4, was the Braves' first-round pick (28th overall) in the 2015 draft. Quantrill, 24, was the Padres' first-round pick (eighth overall) a year later.

But the match of the right-handers is not quite what it seems.

While Soroka is a key member of the Braves rotation, Quantrill is likely making a spot start because left-hander Eric Lauer is away from the Padres on bereavement leave following the death of his father. While the 6-foot-3 Quantrill will be making his eighth start of the season Sunday, four of his last five appearances before the All-Star break were out of the bullpen.

"Overall, Cal has handled the back and forth really well," Padres manager Andy Green told reporters of Quantrill's split roles. "We were very aware of his pitch count last time. We'll probably be similarly aware this time with the understanding of what we've done bouncing him back and forth.

"Also, with the off day the following day, we can be a little bit more assertive. Mentally, he's handled it really well. He's going to continue to develop and emerge as a pitcher. For some of these guys, it's going to be how they break into the big leagues . . . being used in both roles."

Quantrill's first six outings as a Padre were as a starter this season. He had a 1-2 record with a 5.23 ERA as a starter at the time. His first major league appearance and start came against the Braves back on May 1, when he allowed two runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. He also started against the Giants on July 3, giving up three runs on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

Overall, Quantrill has given up 22 runs on 43 hits and 13 walks with 36 strikeouts in 41 innings for a 1.366 WHIP and a .269 opponents' batting average.

Those numbers are nowhere close to matching Soroka's, who leads the National League in winning percentage while giving up 28 runs (24 earned) on 73 hits and 21 walks with 73 strikeouts in 89 1/3 innings for a .220 opponents' batting average and a 1.052 WHIP.

He also faced San Diego when the Padres were in Georgia in April and allowed a run on four hits and a walk with eight strikeouts in six innings to get credit for the win.

"I like the way we've played to start the second half," said Braves manager Brian Snitker, whose team is now a National League-best 28-18 on the road and 26-10 since the start of June.

The Braves, who split their earlier four-game series with the Padres in Atlanta, scored seven runs in their 7-5, 10-inning win Saturday night -- giving them 503 runs on the season, a franchise record for 93 games.

--Field Level Media