Atlanta, GA
Braves News: Max Fried update, postseason schedule released, and more
The Atlanta Braves provided a few updates on the pitching staff ahead of this weekend’s series against the Miami Marlins.
Grant Holmes will start Saturday as the #Braves face Miami this weekend.
Max Fried is eligible to come off the IL on Friday and is a candidate for Sunday.
Reynaldo Lopez is still considered day-to-day according to Brian Snitker.
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) August 1, 2024
Fortunately, Max Fried is eligible to be activated from the injured list today. He landed on the IL on July 21 with a forearm injury. Now, he is in consideration to start Sunday’s game.
The club also announced that Grant Holmes will get the ball on Saturday. 28-year-old Holmes made his first career MLB start on Monday against the Milwaukee Brewers and looks to carry that momentum into this series.
And finally, Reynaldo Lopez is still considered day-to-day after exiting his last start with forearm soreness. Hopefully, he is on the mend and will rejoin the pitching staff shortly.
More Braves News:
Austin Riley, Matt Olson, and Orlando Arcia each homered in Thursday’s 4-2 win over the Fish. The series continues tonight at 7:20 ET with Spencer Schwellenbach on the bump.
Austin Riley earned the Braves’ Heart and Hustle Award for the second consecutive year. The accolade is annually awarded to an active player who demonstrates a passion for the game while embodying baseball’s values, spirits, and traditions.
Drake Baldwin had a successful Wednesday with another homer for Triple-A Gwinnett. More in the minor league recap.
Most of the band got back together after the acquisitions of Jorge Soler and Luke Jackson. Let’s see if this move yields the same results it did in 2021.
In the latest Braves Dispatch, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution discusses his final thoughts after the trade deadline and what the remainder of 2024 looks like for the Braves.
MLB News:
Major League Baseball has released the 2024 Postseason Schedule with a new system to prevent long layoffs.
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout will miss the remainder of the season due to a meniscus tear.
Chicago Cubs right-hander Adbert Alzolay will undergo forearm surgery and miss the rest of the season. The club has not provided a clear timeline of his return.
The Baltimore Orioles designated outfielder Cristian Pache for assignment. He was just traded to the O’s in the swap that took Austin Hays to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Atlanta, GA
2 Dead In Fiery Crash On Interstate 75 In Atlanta
ATLANTA, GA — Two people are dead following a fiery crash on Interstate 75 in Atlanta, according to police.
The crash occurred shortly before 3:15 a.m. Saturday on southbound I-75 near Cleveland Avenue Southwest. According to police, a Kia Sportage was traveling on I-75 when the driver lost control of the vehicle while attempting to exit at Cleveland Avenue.
Police said the vehicle left the roadway, hit a pole and subsequently caught fire.
Two unidentified occupants of the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators with the Atlanta Police Department Accident Investigations Unit responded to the scene to determine what led to the crash. The investigation into the collision is ongoing.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta chef charged after shooting 2 suspected teen porch pirates outside his home
An Atlanta chef allegedly shot two teenagers who were suspected of trying to steal packages outside his home in broad daylight.
Rakim Bradford was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony after he opened fire on the boys, ages 15 and 16, at his townhouse in the Mays neighborhood, southwest of Downtown Atlanta, on Thursday around 3:40 p.m.
Bradford, the head chef at an area IHOP, according to his LinkedIn, was at his home on the 700 block of Celeste Lane SW when he noticed the teens near his front porch, Atlanta Police said.
Officials believe the teens had traveled to the Villages of Cascade complex, where they spotted a delivery van and followed it, according to Atlanta News First, citing Bradford’s arrest warrant.
“After the packages were dropped, they agreed to steal that package from the front of the residence,” the warrant stated.
Bradford caught the teens going for the packages and allegedly shot the pair before they could steal the delivery.
“We believe a property crime was occurring, that some packages were being taken off a front porch, which is common this time of year,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters. “The homeowner did discharge his weapon to stop that theft of packages.”
The unidentified 15-year-old was found with a gunshot wound to the right foot. Officers later found the 16-year-old suffering from a gunshot to the right arm.
He was transported to the hospital in critical condition before undergoing surgery. The teen is expected to survive.
“The Atlanta Police Department takes gun violence very seriously,” Schierbaum said. “Anytime a child is injured in our city, we really take that really seriously. We want to make sure they know what’s happening.”
Bradford was detained after the shooting and brought in for questioning.
Officials ruled out a home invasion and didn’t announce any charges against the two teens.
Neighbors warned potential porch pirates of stealing packages from other homes.
“Don’t go and steal people’s packages,” Andrew Julian told the outlet. “On the other side of that, what right do you have to defend your own home, and then what decision do you make to defend your own home based on somebody taking an item off of your porch? So, it’s certainly a conversation to be had.”
Atlanta, GA
Want a rental for the World Cup in Atlanta? Demand up as much as 4000%
Clint Dempsey on measure of success for the US in upcoming World Cup
USMNT legend Clint Demspey breaks down what he considers to be the measure of success for the team as they prepare to host the upcoming World Cup.
Sports Seriously
Are you trying to find a short-term rental in Atlanta for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on match day?
The players on the field won’t be the only ones facing fierce competition.
In the days since the announcement of the group stage match-ups last week, demand for short term rentals in Atlanta has skyrocketed, reaching nearly a 5000% increase in some neighborhoods.
In a report published by AirDNA — a vacation rental analysis group that uses data from companies like Aibnb, VRBO and rental partners — researchers compared searches for short-term rentals in Atlanta in June and July 2025 to searches for the coming year during the same time period.
Here is what they found.
These Atlanta neighborhoods have highest demand
AirDNA found that in the city of Atlanta, the year-over-year change in demand for short term rentals for the dates of the group stage games increased 286% overall, as of Dec. 10.
For the round of 32 date, demand went up 351% from 2025 to 2026. During the round of 16, the demand was up 284%. The semi-final match led to an increase in demand of 213%.
For specific neighborhoods, the year-over-year increase in nightly demand for rentals was astronomical.
Here are the top 10:
- Chosewood Park — 4450%
- Buckhead — 2400%
- Atlanta University Center/ Vine City — 1911%
- Cabbagetown — 1833%
- Edgewood — 1638%
- Ben Hill — 1200%
- Bankhead — 1141%
- Grant Park — 1044%
- Downtown Atlanta — 1034%
- North Druid Hills — 900%
More than 30 other neighborhoods and cities in the greater Atlanta metro area saw increases in nightly demand by more than 200%.
Only six areas — Doraville, Brookhaven/North Buckhead, Douglasville, Powder Springs, Vinnings and Chamblee — saw a decrease in nightly demand for match days compared to 2025.
Rentals for night before also in high demand
When AirDNA compared demand for the night before a match versus the night after, the demand was similar if not higher in some cases.
The demand for rentals on June 14, the day before the first group stage match, is the same for demand on June 15 when the match is actually played, the data shows.
On June 20, however, demand for a rental in Atlanta overall is higher than on June 21, the day of the third group stage match.
Overall demand in Atlanta stays high once the World Cup begins, with some slower breaks in between the later tournament matches.
Can I still get World Cup tickets for Atlanta matches?
The Random Selection Draw period is on now for specific match tickets. Spectators hoping to see a specific match can request to enter the drawing through the FIFA ticketing website.
Tickets are also available for some of the more elaborate World Cup experiences, as well as through packages from Qatar Airlines. Tickets will open for resale on Dec. 15.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
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