The Braves have a chance to do something they haven’t done since June 20: win a series. To get there, they’ll need a strong finish tonight against the Cardinals, and all eyes will be on Hurston Waldrep in his first start of 2026.
Waldrep is making just his second appearance of the season, and this will be his first start since late September last year. He was flashing upper-end stuff before the injury bug hit in February, when loose bodies were found in his elbow.
The radar gun was still friendly in his return, with Waldrep reaching as high as 99 MPH, but the command wasn’t there yet. He issued four walks in two innings in that outing, though Atlanta’s front office still handed him the ball for this one.
If Waldrep can look more like the pitcher he was last season, and if Reynaldo López backs up what he did last night, the Braves suddenly look a lot better than they did only a few weeks ago.
One thing working in Waldrep’s favor: there’s no history here. He has never faced the Cardinals, and none of their hitters have seen him before either. That kind of clean slate can make for a very different kind of matchup.
Dustin May will start for St. Louis, and his season has been a roller coaster.
He owns a 4.30 ERA across 15 starts and 83.2 innings, but the range of outcomes has been wild. Two starts ago, on June 15, he threw a complete-game shutout against the Padres, allowing one hit, no walks, and striking out nine.
In his last outing against the Royals, though, he lasted just 2.0 innings, gave up six hits including two home runs, and was charged with six earned runs and a walk while striking out two. May has three starts in which he allowed at least six runs and failed to reach five innings, but he’s also had seven outings where he gave up two or fewer runs.
Because May spent six seasons with the Dodgers, Mike Yastrzemski has seen him more than anyone on the Braves. Yastrzemski is 7-for-14 against him with a .500 average and a 1.206 OPS, and he looks like a strong bet to be in the lineup.
Kim has also faced May 11 times, though that history matters a lot less given the way Kim is swinging it. Beyond that, the Braves haven’t had much success in this matchup.
Riley has done the most damage, posting a 2.000 OPS with two home runs in five at-bats, and Smith has one homer in three at-bats. No other Braves starter mentioned has an OPS above .400 against May in limited work.
So this one may come down to which Dustin May shows up, and whether Waldrep can keep the walks in check. If Atlanta gets both of those things and closes the night with a win, it would be another step toward getting the season pointed back in the right direction.
First pitch is set for 7:15 EDT.
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