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Atlanta, GA

Reynaldo López pitches six more shutout innings in 6-2 Braves win over Astros

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Reynaldo López pitches six more shutout innings in 6-2 Braves win over Astros


Reynaldo López continued to be the most consistent starting pitcher for the Atlanta Braves here in the early going of the season. His six shutout innings helped keep the Braves in control as they rode another late wave of offense to a 6-2 series win at Minute Maid Park over the Houston Astros.

Once the schedule made it apparent that the pitching matchup for tonight’s game was going to be Reynaldo López going for the Braves against Hunter Brown starting for the Astros, I’d imagine that people would’ve been more-than-willing to bet against a pitching duel breaking out. This is the sport of baseball where anything can happen, though, so naturally we ended up witnessing a pitching duel for the first two-thirds of this contest.

At first, it seemed as if Ronald Acuña Jr. was going to create another run by himself as he led off the game with a single and then stole second. He then went for third and while he was initially ruled safe, he ended up being called out on review and the scoring chance for Atlanta evaporated from there. Fortunately, the Braves wouldn’t have to wait long to get on the board in this one. Orlando Arcia returned to the lineup after starting last night on the bench and he responded to that by winning an eight-pitch battle and lifting the ball up and into the area adjacent to the Crawford Boxes for what was ruled as a home run. Arcia’s first dinger of the season was of the solo variety so the Braves had a razor-thin 1-0 lead to hang onto at that point.

As it turned out, that ended up being all Reynaldo López needed in order to exert control over the game. While López wasn’t exactly perfect (he had to deal with at least one runner in scoring position for each of the second, third and fourth innings), he continued to stay positively consistent and proved to be extremely tough for the Astros to crack while he was out there.

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Once Reynaldo López was done for the night, his line went along to the tune of six innings pitched, four hits allowed, one walk, seven strikeouts and zero runs allowed. López has now gone six innings in each of his three starts so far and he still hasn’t given up a run since his first start of the season. Needless to say, he’s provided the consistency that this rotation has needed in a bumpy start to the season and here’s hoping that he can keep this going into a renaissance season of sorts.

It also has to be mentioned that Hunter Brown ended up getting the bounce-back game that he had been desperately looking for after a dismal start to his season. Atlanta was unable to really hit Brown hard while he was out there and this ended up being Brown’s best start of the season by a country mile. He finished the game with six innings under his belt and five hits and three walks to his name with three strikeouts. He was unable to keep that one run on his record, though, as he did leave the game in the top of the seventh inning with the bases loaded and nobody out after the Braves led off that frame with a double from Michael Harris II and two walks immediately afterwards.

This was a golden opportunity for the Braves to crack the game wide open and put some distance between them and the Astros and things got off to a well-enough start when Orlando Arcia hit a deep sacrifice fly ball to right-center that moved all the runners up a base and plated Atlanta’s second run of the game. The good times ended right then and there, though, as Shawn Dubin struck out Jarred Kelenic and got Luis Guillorme to ground out to end the scoring threat and keep it at just 2-0 in favor of the Braves.

Reynaldo López set the tone for the night and the Braves bullpen kept it going in the right direction once they entered the game in relief. Tyler Matzek sat down the Astros in order in the seventh inning and then Joe Jiménez came in and followed suit in the eighth inning as well, ensuring that the Braves would be heading into the ninth inning with at least a two-run lead intact.

The hope was that the Braves would get back to their current ways in the ninth inning — meaning that the ninth inning was scoring time for Atlanta. Sure enough, the Braves got a rally going in the ninth which saw Marcell Ozuna extend his hitting streak to 15 games. Ozuna’s single was followed by a single from Orlando Arcia and then another single for Jarred Kelenic loaded the bases with one out for Luis Guillorme. Guillorme then proceeded to hit a blooper the other way that bounced right off the chalk foul line and into the seats for a ground rule double that plated two and put the Braves ahead in a comfortable 4-0 lead.

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Chadwick Tromp then proceeded to put the game to bed with a perfectly-placed gapper in left center that plated two more runs and made it 6-0 in favor of the Braves. The ninth inning was once again very, very good to the Atlanta Braves.

Aaron Bummer got the nod for the ninth inning and immediately fumbled the shutout, as Kyle Tucker led off the ninth with a no-doubter that put the Astros on the board for the first time since the first inning of Monday night’s game. Bummer got the next two outs but then ran into some more trouble as he gave up a double, an RBI single and a walk to his next three hitters. Just like that, it was 6-2 and Aaron Bummer was pulled from the game in favor of Raisel Iglesias being placed into a one-out save situation. Fortunately, Iglesias induced a ground ball out of pinch hitter Victor Caratini to end the game and give the Braves the series victory.

The Braves will be heading back to the Atlanta metro area tomorrow evening but before then, they’ll have a getaway day matinee matchup against the Astros at 2:10 P.M. E.T. Max Fried will be getting the ball for tomorrow afternoon’s matchup and here’s hoping that Fried can follow López’s act with a vintage performance of his own as the Braves attempt to sweep Houston on their way out of town.



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Atlanta, GA

Reward upped to $25K for suspect in violent Atlanta bank robbery

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Reward upped to K for suspect in violent Atlanta bank robbery


(Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta) 

Atlanta police have increased the reward in their search for a suspect accused of stabbing a bank employee during an attempted robbery last week.

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Officials say the robbery happened around noon on Nov. 20 at the United Community Bank on Caroline Street NE.

On that day, officers responded to the bank after receiving reports of a robbery and stabbing and found one employee stabbed in the stomach. 

According to investigators, an unidentified male entered the bank, went behind the employee counter, and demanded money from a staff member.

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When the man was informed that there was no money available, he reportedly stabbed the employee and ran off.

The injured employee was transported to the hospital and is expected to recover from their injuries.

“This act of violence is deeply appalling,” a spokesperson for United Community Bank said in a statement. “We are enormously grateful to law enforcement and will continue to support their efforts, so this individual is arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

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Officials hope the new reward of $25,000 will lead to information that will help them arrest and indict the suspect.

“We are deeply committed to ensuring justice for the victim and the safety of our community,” said Sgt. Travis Williams, Director of Crime Stoppers of Greater Atlanta. “We believe this significant increase in the reward will encourage someone with critical information to step forward.”

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Authorities are urging anyone with information about the incident to submit tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers Atlanta. Tips can be provided by calling 404-577-TIPS (8477), visiting StopCrimeAtl.org, or texting “CSGA” along with the tip to CRIMES (738477).



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Atlanta, GA

Basketball Pickups: Naji Marshall and Jaden Hardy shine in Atlanta

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Basketball Pickups: Naji Marshall and Jaden Hardy shine in Atlanta


The Mavericks went into Monday’s game in Atlanta down three perimeter players. With Luka Doncic already sidelined, Klay Thompson and Quentin Grimes joined him on the sideline. Naji Marshall (17%) and Jaden Hardy (1%) were the replacements, and both played well in Dallas’ win over the Hawks. Marshall played 28 minutes, finishing with 22 points, six rebounds, one assist, and two 3-pointers, his third consecutive game of 20 or more. Hardy put up a season-high 23 points with three rebounds, two assists, three steals (career-high), and two 3-pointers.

Marshall’s fantasy value has increased since Doncic went down, and he’ll miss at least one more game (Wednesday vs. New York). As for Hardy, his value depends on the availability of Thompson and Grimes. Also, we can’t forget about Spencer Dinwiddie (2%), who produced a line of 22 points, three rebounds, four assists, and four 3-pointers. His fantasy status moving forward is similar to Hardy’s; he’ll need multiple people to sit to be worth the risk.

Let’s look at a few more of Monday’s top pickups:

Moussa Diabate (20%), Charlotte Hornets

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Diabate didn’t start Monday’s loss to the Magic (Taj Gibson did), but he effectively played starters’ minutes off the bench. Diabate didn’t provide much scoring, but the rebounds (eight) and defensive stats (two steals and four blocks) were the important takeaways. He’ll be worth rostering as long as the Hornets remain without Mark Williams and Nick Richards, and neither has a concrete timeline for return.

Anthony Black (14%), Orlando Magic

Already playing without Jalen Suggs, the Magic lost his replacement in the starting lineup five minutes into Monday’s matchup with the Hornets. Gary Harris suffered a strained hamstring, and his exit led to Black starting the second half. While the final stat line wasn’t particularly impressive (10 points, three rebounds, one assist, three steals, and two 3-pointers in 22 minutes), the opportunities for Black to produce will be there if Suggs and Harris remain sidelined. Those injuries also impacted Cole Anthony (1%), who re-entered the rotation and played 27 minutes. He finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two 3-pointers. However, fantasy managers may want to ensure Anthony sticks in the rotation before moving to add him.

Yves Missi (13%) and Elfrid Payton (2%), New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans received good news on the injury front Monday, as CJ McCollum returned from a strained adductor. However, with the team still down multiple contributors, there was room for Missi (who came off the bench) and Payton to provide value. Despite backing up Daniel Theis, Missi played 31 minutes off the bench and finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds, two steals, and two blocked shots. As for Payton, all he did was establish a new career-high with 21 assists while also putting up 14 points, seven rebounds, and two steals in 31 minutes. While Missi should have value for the remainder of the season, even after everyone returns, Payton’s fantasy relevance likely ends once Dejounte Murray returns from a broken hand.

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Keon Ellis (8%), Sacramento Kings

Malik Monk’s return from a sprained ankle was the most notable change to the Kings rotation, but it wasn’t the only one. Ellis made his second start of the season on Monday, replacing Kevin Huerter. The matchup certainly influenced the decision, with Sacramento needing to defend Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But this is something to watch, especially with Huerter only playing ten minutes in Monday’s loss. Ellis played 28, finishing with eight points, one rebound, three assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers. The line itself isn’t enough to make Ellis a player worth adding. But that changes if he remains in the starting lineup, which is a realistic possibility due to the Kings’ issues defending on the perimeter.

Jalen Wilson (2%) and Ziaire Williams (2%), Brooklyn Nets

Despite being down multiple rotation players and losing Cameron Johnson and Cam Thomas during Monday’s game, the Nets erased an 18-point deficit to beat Golden State. Wilson and Williams, inserted into the starting lineup with Dorian Finney-Smith and Nic Claxton sidelined, made vital contributions. Wilson scored a career-high 18 points with seven rebounds, two assists, one block, and three 3-pointers. As for Williams, he recorded a double-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two 3-pointers. Their values for Wednesday’s game against the Suns will depend on the Nets’ injury report.

Neemias Queta (2%), Boston Celtics

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While Kristaps Porzingis was available to make his season debut on Monday, the Celtics were without Al Horford and Luke Kornet. As a result, Queta remained in the rotation and was stellar in 25 minutes off the bench. He finished Monday’s blowout of the Clippers with 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and four blocked shots. Queta was a case in which the few managers who rostered him benefitted, and he’ll be a schedule play moving forward. Boston’s Sunday/Monday back-to-back against the Cavaliers and Heat will be the next opportunity to consider streaming Queta.





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Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Hawks vs Dallas Mavericks: Starting Lineups

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Atlanta Hawks vs Dallas Mavericks: Starting Lineups


The Atlanta Hawks and the Dallas Mavericks are about to tipoff their game in Atlanta and both teams just announced their starting lineups for tonight’s game.

Hawks:

G- Trae Young

G – Dyson Daniels

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F – Zaccharie Risacher

F – Jalen Johnson

C – Clint Capela

Mavericks

G-Kyrie Irving

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G- Jaden Hardy

F- Naji Marshall

F- P.J. Washington

C- Dereck Lively

Currently, the Hawks rank 28th in PPG allowed, 18th in field goal percentage allowed, 30th in three-point attempts allowed, and 30th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 20th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 30th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

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Atlanta’s offense has struggled to produce in the last two games and they are going to face one of the NBA’s best defenses so far this year. The Hawks were unable to score 100 points in the loss to Golden State and they had a terrible 1st half against Chicago on Friday. This team has shooting and spacing concerns and that is something that they will have to figure out on offense.

The Hawks desperately need Trae Young to start playing at an All-NBA level. That won’t solve all of the offensive issues this team is having, but it would help. Young had 25 points and 13 assists vs the Bulls, but most of the production came in the second half when the game was out of reach.

After a great stretch of games on offense and defense, Dyson Daniels has struggled to score the ball, but the defense is still great. He shot 3-14 from the field on Friday vs Chicago and has not found consistency with his three point shot. The Hawks are counting on him to provide that and he will be tasked with guarding Kyrie Irving tonight.

Zaccharie Risacher has been in the starting lineup for the Hawks for most of the season, but he is struggling to shoot the ball and he only played 16 minutes on Friday vs Chicago. Would Quin Snyder consider moving De’Andre Hunter back into the lineup? He played close to 30 minutes on Friday and is performing well this season, especially on offense. This is something to monitor going forward.

Jalen Johnson is coming off of a 25-point, 13 rebound performance vs the Bulls and he will be counted on tonight vs Dallas. Defensively, Atlanta needs more from Johnson, but he has shaken off a slow start and is playing well.

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The center position has been mostly underwhelming for Atlanta this season, but Clint Caplea is coming off of his best game of the season offensively. He scored 21 points and pulled in 11 rebounds in the loss on Friday and he is going to be a key player tonight vs the center duo of Dereck Lively and Daniels Gafford. Onyeka Okongwu is struggling on both ends of the floor and the Hawks do have Larry Nance, but Nance does not play often and did not on Friday vs Chicago.

Snyder mostly used a nine-man rotation against the Bulls, with Kobe Bufkin, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Okongwu, and Hunter coming off the bench. Perhaps the only good thing that came out of Friday’s loss was that Bogdanovic finally looked like himself again. He scored 16 points and shot 4-8 from three in the game and after two bad games to start the year, he finally played well. Bufkin is one of the players who has really struggled this year, but he should be given time to try and figure things out. Will this be the rotation for Atlanta tonight or will guys like VIt Krejci and Garrison Matthews get more minutes?

While the record might not indicate it, the underlying numbers show that Dalls is one of the NBA’s elite teams. The Mavericks are 9th in PPG, 8th in FG%, 22nd in three-point attempts, 22nd in 3P%, 18th in free-throw attempts, 9th in rebounding and 8th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, Dallas is 4th in points per 100 possessions, 10th in effective field goal percentage, 6th in turnover percentage, 14th in offensive rebounding, and 20th in free throw rate. Defensively, this is shaping up to be the best defense Dallas has had in years. They currently rank 9th in PPG allowed, 5th in FG% allowed, 9th in three-point attempts allowed, and 10th in three-point percentage. Per Cleaning the Glass, Dallas is 7th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 4th in effective field goal percentage allowed.



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