Atlanta Braves vs Los Angeles Dodgers Prediction & Match Preview - April 19th

The reigning World Series Champions Atlanta Braves will square off against the National League favorites this year, the Los Angeles Dodgers, for their second game of a three-game series. A battle of aces on the mound will commence as the Braves' Max Fried will start opposite Walker Bueheler of the Dodgers.

In their first encounter last night, and what was probably an emotional night, at least for long-time Braves icon Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers overcame his former squad 7-4 thanks in no small part to his first inning home run against the Braves. In the same game, Clayton Kershaw also recorded his 100th win as a Los Angeles Dodger.

Match Details

Fixture: Atlanta Braves vs Los Angeles Dodgers | MLB Regular Season 2022

Date & Time: Tuesday, April 19, 10:10 p.m. EDT

Venue: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California

Atlanta Braves Team Preview

The Atlanta Braves are off to a sluggish start this season. The defending champions fell to 5-7 in the standings after their loss to the Dodgers. The most glaring problem for the team is their staff.

The Braves' rotation and bullpen have given up 57 runs and 93 base hits for an ERA of 4.89 through just 12 games this season. Ace Max Fried hasn't found his stride yet. With a 5.73 ERA and two losses, he will look to turn things around against the Dodgers.

Key Player - Matt Olson

Matt Olson (background) replaced Freddie Freeman (foreground) in the Braves lineup

If you can't out pitch them, outscore them. Matt Olson has been firing on all cylinders since arriving in Atlanta. He is batting .452/.566/.714 with two homers, two RBIs, 19 base hits, five doubles, and 11 walks.

"Matt Olson has three hits tonight. He leads MLB with 19 on the year. He's 2nd in MLB with 11 walks." - @ Grant McAuley

His performance is considered one of the best starts through ten games by a player in the Braves' franchise history. He will be heavily relied upon to provide more sparks in this second game against the Dodgers.

Atlanta Braves Predicted Lineup

Starting Pitcher - Max Fried

Ozzie Albies, 2B
Matt Olson, 1B
Austin Riley, 3B
Marcell Ozuna, LF
Travis d'Arnaud, C
Alex Dickerson, DH
Adam Duvall, CF
Eddie Rosario, RF
Dansby Swanson, SS

Los Angeles Dodgers Team Preview

Clayton Kershaw won his 100th game as a Dodger last night

The Los Angeles Dodgers mean business. They have now won seven straight games and own the best record in the majors at 8-2. This isn't unexpected, as the Dodgers have always been perennial favorites to win the National League this year.

A combination of superb pitching and hot bats will certainly make it difficult for the Braves to overcome them this game.

Key Player - Freddie Freeman

The man of the hour for the Dodgers, Freddie Freeman

Though criticized by some because of the offseason move he made, Freddie Freeman has made it clear that he wants a repeat championship this year. He is currently batting .325/.404/.475 with a homer (against the Braves), five RBIs, 13 base hits, and two doubles so far.

"You can't make this up. @FreddieFreeman5 just homered in his first at-bat against the Braves. 😱" - @ MLB

With emotions and motivation high in this series, look for Freeman to light it up against his old squad.

Los Angeles Dodgers Predicted Lineup

Starting Pitcher - Walker Buehler

Mookie Betts, RF
Trea Turner, SS
Freddie Freeman, 1B
WIll Smith, C
Max Muncy, DH
Justin Turner, 3B
Chris Taylor, LF
Cody Bellinger, CF
Gavin Lux, 2B

Braves vs Dodgers Match Prediction

It could be a tough outing for Braves ace Max Fried as the Dodgers are red hot at the moment. The Braves battery order is producing runs, but the rotation and pen are hard to trust at this time. Dodgers win 5-3.

Where to Watch Braves vs Dodgers

The game can be seen nationally through TBS (out-of-market-only), Bally Sports South for the Braves, and SportsNet LA for the Dodgers. It can also be streamed via radio through 680AM/93.7 FM The Fan for the Braves and Dodgers Radio AM570 and KTNQ 1020 in the Los Angeles Area.

About the author

Daniel Santiago is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. He was drawn towards the sport after the underlying statistics and the analysis surrounding it grabbed his attention.

Daniel particularly enjoys furnishing reports about historic events in baseball and analyzing the game through a statistic-based outlook, based on Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference. This is in line with how he enjoyed watching baseball as a pastime. As a writer, he is very particular about cross-checking from reputable sources and doing his due diligence.

He became a lifelong Hideki Matsui fan after his exploits in the 2009 World Series for the New York Yankees. Among the current generation, Daniel's favorites include Shohei Ohtani and Jung Hoo Lee. Daniel is a huge follower of Asian baseball and both Ohtani and Lee have been in the top echelon of their respective leagues during their time with the NPB and KBO.

His favorite moment as a baseball fan was the final at-bat of the 2023 World Baseball Classic between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. He believes there aren't many words to fittingly describe the intensity of the moment.

As an avid sports fan, Daniel watches other sports and Esports when not writing about baseball.

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Edited by Chaitanya Sharma

Atlanta Braves vs Los Angeles Dodgers Prediction & Match Preview - April 19th | MLB Season 2022