The Atlanta Braves bring one of baseball's marquee rivalries home to Truist Park on Tuesday, August 25, when the Los Angeles Dodgers come to Cumberland for a 7:15 PM ET first pitch. Bryce Elder takes the mound for Atlanta against Tyler Glasnow in a pitching matchup that gives this regular season contest genuine weight. The game airs nationally on TBS and locally on BravesVision, with radio coverage on 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan. If you care about where the Braves stand come October, you need to be watching this one.
Pitching Matchup: Bryce Elder vs. Tyler Glasnow
Bryce Elder gets the ball for the Braves, and this is a real test for the right-hander. Elder has carved out a spot in Atlanta's rotation by throwing strikes, working deep into games, and trusting his defense — a profile that can work against a lineup as dangerous as Los Angeles carries. He will need to be precise. The Dodgers do not chase bad pitches, and they punish anything left over the middle of the plate.
On the other side, Tyler Glasnow is the kind of arm that makes opposing lineups uncomfortable. The big right-hander generates elite swing-and-miss rates with a power fastball-curveball combination that is genuinely difficult to square up. The Braves will need patient at-bats and disciplined plate appearances to have any chance of doing real damage against him. Getting Glasnow's pitch count up early is not just a strategy — it is a necessity.
Three Keys to the Game for Atlanta
- Make Glasnow work. The Dodgers' starter can be dominant when he is cruising on low pitch counts. Atlanta's lineup needs to grind out long at-bats, work the count, and force Glasnow into uncomfortable territory early. Walks and deep counts are wins even before a run scores.
- Elder's command in the early innings. Falling behind hitters against the Dodgers is a losing proposition. Elder at his best is a strike-thrower who keeps the ball on the ground. If he commands both sides of the plate and avoids the middle of the zone, he gives the Braves a legitimate path to keeping this game close.
- Capitalize on the middle of the Dodgers' bullpen. If Atlanta can push Glasnow out of the game by the fifth or sixth inning, the matchup shifts. Los Angeles has pitching depth, but creating opportunities against a bullpen in the middle innings is where the Braves can manufacture the most damage.
Prediction
This is a grind-it-out ballgame from the first pitch. Glasnow's stuff gives the Dodgers the edge on paper in this pitching matchup, and Atlanta will need a strong outing from Elder to stay competitive. Expect a low-scoring game that likely comes down to the bullpens and one or two big swings. Truist Park will be loud, and the Braves are capable of winning this game — but Los Angeles enters as the tougher out. Dodgers 4, Braves 3, in a game that feels closer than any final score can capture.
