Atlanta, GA
Braves look to even the series with AJ Smith-Shawver starting against Rays
Following a tough Friday that saw them begin it with a walk-off straight onto a plane Atlanta and end it with a loss in Tampa, the Atlanta Braves are now attempting to bounce back in the middle game of this three-game series with the Rays.
AJ Smith-Shawver will be getting the ball to start tonight’s game and it’s clear that the Braves are surely hoping that this’ll be the night where he puts together something resembling a complete start. He’s made a couple of starts so far this year and in both of them, he’s had plenty of traffic to deal with on the basepaths as he gave up six hits in his season debut and then seven in his most recent appearance, with three walks in each of those outings. As a result, he still has yet to make it through five innings so far.
With that being said, one thing that Smith-Shawver has going for him is that he has been inducing a lot of whiffs so far. Hopefully he’ll be able to turn those whiffs into more strikeouts, as he went from four in his season debut to six in his most recent outing. This may not be the most ideal situation to try to go for strikeouts, as the Rays are entering this game with only a 19.9 percent strikeout rate. With that being said, that’s certainly not going to stop AJSS from trying and if he can continue to ramp up his strikeout numbers then this could be the moment where he finally gets a quality start under his belt.
Meanwhile, Drew Rasmussen is getting the ball for the Rays and he’s gotten off to a very solid start to the season for the Rays so far. He’s thrown 10 innings over two starts and gone five innings in each of those starts with four strikeouts and just one walk so far. It took everything the Rangers had just to scratch a run past him during his last outing and Texas had to win it in walk-off fashion once Rasmussen was gone from the game.
Rasmussen has a five-pitch arsenal but he’ll be leaning on his cutter while occasionally going to a four-seamer and sinker while rarely breaking out the sweeper and curveball. He’s done a good job of avoiding getting barreled up so far and as I mentioned in the previous article, he’s largely avoided giving out free passes and that’s part of the reason why he’s gotten off to such a solid start for the Rays so far. He’s also avoided giving up a homer as well. Rasmussen appears likely to deliver a tough challenge to the Braves tonight but what else is new as far as this season goes for Atlanta?
Sometimes I like to look at the FanGraphs live scoreboard before the games start since they usually give an analytical prediction on how the game goes. Usually, the Braves have had the higher odds of victory — today is not one of those days, as FanGraphs is giving the Rays a 57 percent shot to win this one. If we’re being completely honest, the pitching matchup certainly tilts in favor of the Rays and the Braves are still trying to figure out a way to get into a good run of consistency here in 2025.
With that being said, this is still baseball — you still have to go out there on the diamond and make it happen. Hopefully the Braves will be able to figure it out today and play a complete game, themselves. If that happens, this team still has the talent to play with anybody on any given day. Hopefully today’s one of those days!
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Saturday, April 12, 4:10 p.m. EDT
Location: George M. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa, FL
TV: FanDuel Sports South/Southeast
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan
Atlanta, GA
2 arrested in deadly drive-by shooting of 7-year-old Atlanta girl, police say
Two suspects in a shooting that left a 7-year-old Atlanta girl dead and her mother injured are now in custody nearly a week after the violence, police say.
The shooting happened around 9:45 p.m. on Feb. 24 at a home on the 2200 block of Tiger Flowers Drive NW.
Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a dispute between one of the victim’s family members and the gunman over the phone. Thirty minutes after the argument, the suspect came back and fired shots into the home, police said.
Officers responding to the scene found a 44-year-old woman and her daughter, identified as 7-year-old Zoe Price, shot. Medics rushed the pair to a local hospital, but Price died from her injuries.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said the department’s homicide unit secured an arrest warrant for 19-year-old Preston Smith two days after the shooting. Smith turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail on March 2.
Schierbaum said officers executed a search warrant on Feb. 27 at a home on McDaniel Street. On that day, 17-year-old Steven Richardson, who police described as an “accomplice,” turned himself in to authorities.
Both men are charged with murder, criminal attempt to commit murder, three counts of aggravated assault, second-degree criminal damage to property, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and four counts of third-degree cruelty to children. Richardson is also charged with possession of a Firearm by a Person Under 18.
At a press conference to announce the arrests, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens described Price as a bright and compassionate little girl who was “full of energy and full of joy.”
“Her life was cut short in an act of senseless violence, and that loss is not abstract. It is a chair that is going to be missing at the dinner table each night. It is an empty classroom seat next to her friends,” Dickens said.
The mayor called the arrests “a step forward towards justice” for Price’s family and families across the city.
Dickens said that violence, like the act that took Price’s life, would not be tolerated in Atlanta.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Braves News: Top 30 Prospects, Starting Pitching Depth, More
On Monday, the Braves were able to earn another Spring Training victory over the Detroit Tigers. It was a game where the starting pitching depth of the Braves was on full display, as Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz, and Owen Murphy all threw multiple innings. While it is likely unwise to expect big things from any of these three arms this season, they are a part of the “next man up” group for the Braves if injury again impacts the rotation. Each had a solid effort today, a trend that will hopefully continue.
Atlanta, GA
Luke Kornet calls on Atlanta Hawks to cancel ‘Magic City Monday’ promo
2026 NBA All-Star Game marks major positive step forward
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game takes a major positive step forward with real competition led by Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards and rising stars.
An NBA player from an opposing team has called on the Atlanta Hawks to cancel their upcoming game promotion that revolves around celebrating a well-known local gentleman’s club.
San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet asked the Hawks to reconsider their “Magic City Monday” plans for a March 16 game against the Orlando Magic in a letter posted to Medium on Monday, March 2. Atlanta’s ownership group and front office recently touted the one-night collaboration as an ode to an “iconic cultural institution,” citing Magic City’s role and impact in Atlanta’s Black communities and hip-hop culture in the announcement.
But Kornet wrote that “the Hawks failed to acknowledge that this place is, as the business itself boasts, ‘Atlanta’s premier strip club.’ “
“The NBA should desire to protect and esteem women, many of whom work diligently every day to make this the best basketball league in the world,” Kornet continued. “We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love.
“Allowing this night to go forward without protest would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society.”
Magic City Kitchen is also slated to serve two versions of its “world famous” lemon pepper wings – Louwill Lemon Pepper BBQ – at the March 16 game. The flavor is named after three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year-winner, Lou Williams. Rapper T.I. is scheduled to perform at halftime and limited edition Magic City merchandise will be available to purchase at the game.
Magic City celebrated 40 years with a five-part STARZ docuseries, ‘Magic City: An American Fantasy,’ that was produced by Hawks principal owner Jami Gertz and Atlanta native Jermaine Dupri. Magic City founder Michael “Mr. Magic” Barney and T.I. are scheduled to record a live podcast from inside Atlanta’s State Farm Arena before the game.
Kornet, 30, hopes the Hawks and NBA officials listen to him instead.
“I’d like to encourage the league, its owners, employees and fans to hold the Atlanta Hawks to a higher standard of what they find worthy of promoting,” Kornet wrote. “I and others throughout the league were surprised by and object to the Hawks’ decision. We desire to provide an environment where fans of all ages can safely come and enjoy the game of basketball and where we can celebrate the history and culture of communities in good conscience. The celebration of a strip club is not conduct aligned with that vision.”
Luke Kornet stats
Kornet is averaging a career-best 7.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in his first season with the Spurs. This is the sixth team he’s played for in his nine NBA seasons, with his previous four years spent on the Boston Celtics.
-
World6 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts6 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Denver, CO6 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Louisiana1 week agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Oregon4 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling
-
Florida3 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Technology1 week agoArturia’s FX Collection 6 adds two new effects and a $99 intro version
-
News1 week agoVideo: How Lunar New Year Traditions Take Root Across America