Reynaldo López and Braves try to finish sweep of Marlins

Reynaldo López seeks to build on his great start to the season as the Atlanta Braves aim for a sweep of the Miami Marlins.

The Atlanta Braves will seek to seal the sweep Wednesday night when they finish a three-game series with the Miami Marlins. Atlanta won the opener Monday thanks to a strong performance by Bryce Elder in his season debut. Max Fried followed that up with an even stronger performance Tuesday, pitching a complete game shutout on just 92 pitches. Atlanta will start Reynaldo López on Wednesday, while Miami will choose right-hander Sixto Sanchez.

Lopez will pitch on seven days’ rest as the Braves strive to control his workload. He has been outstanding through three starts, allowing only one run in his first 18 innings. He was dominating in his last start against the Houston Astros, allowing only four hits and striking out a season-high seven in six innings.

Following Tuesday’s game, the Marlins confirmed that Sanchez will start in the finale. Sanchez has not started a Major League Baseball game since Game 3 of the 2020 NLDS against Atlanta. He was then regarded as one of the game’s top pitching prospects, with the potential to become a staple in Miami’s rotation. However, he has battled a slew of ailments subsequently, missing the all of the last three seasons. In 2024, he appeared in seven games from the bullpen and struggled, surrendering five runs in only 7 1⁄3 innings. Sanchez hasn’t thrown more than 34 pitches in any of his previous appearances, so this will most likely be a bullpen game.

The Braves have outscored the Marlins 8-0 in this series. Travis d’Arnaud has four hits in the series, including a double and a homer. Michael Harris has four hits. The Braves need Matt Olson to get going after going hitless again Tuesday. He has now gone seven games without a hit, the longest streak of his career. Despite recent middle-order troubles, the Braves are second in the majors in runs scored, trailing only the Diamondbacks.

First pitch Wednesday is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. ET and can be seen on Bally Sports South.