Ben Ingram previews the big Cubs-Braves series
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What are the expectations for the Cubs-Braves series?
Rahimi Harrison-Grody.
AJ, how are you?
Good. I can't believe how fancy y'all are now. I mean, it used to just be a radio call-in show. Now I got to put clothes on to do this thing. I can't peak too early. I got to kind of try to control my peaking. So, you know, it's a little early to already put a shirt and a hat on. Middays 10 to 2 on 104.3 The Score.
Mateo whacks it out towards right center field, slicing away from Paez, down for a base hit. Yastrzemski scores, and it's a 7-2 lead. 0-1 pitch. Fly ball to left field, going back Dubon. Mauricio's there, lights out in L.A.
How have the Braves performed this season so far?
Braves take this series, and they completely suffocated the Dodgers with brilliant pitching.
Now that is some descriptive language, and that is partially why we are having Ben Ingram on. Welcome to Rahimi Harrison-Grody. He is the Braves Radio Network play-by-play announcer, co-host of the From the Braves Booth podcast. He is at Ingram Radio on X. Ben, thank you for coming on.
Yeah, thanks for having me. Good to speak with you today.
And I know you're also on Twitch with us, twitch.tv slash thescoreschicago. We're excited to watch this series. We were talking to Ian Happ about it earlier. If you like baseball, this is the series for you. Two of the best teams squaring off tonight.
Yeah, this is going to be great. And for the Braves, it's another team that I'd say is one of the best teams in the game. We just finished a road trip where we saw Seattle and L.A.
What factors have contributed to the Braves' success in 2026?
and now seeing the Cubs. And it's a really tough stretch, but I think that's fun, especially for this time of year where we're about a quarter of the way into the season and trying to figure out exactly who everybody is and what they are. And it's always good to see one of the other really good teams in the league.
Ben, the stats bear out who you guys are. Only one series loss all season long. And then to know that you lead the league in both – Runs and ERA. Best pitching, best hitting. I mean, that's a formula right there to win a lot of ball games. What do you think has been most impressive about the Braves in 2026?
A few things come to mind. I mean, I really thought this team would hit. I mean, just watching them at spring training, the offensive numbers don't surprise me. I thought they were due for a bounce-back season. The pitching is what has surprised me.
Why is Matt Olson having an outstanding season?
The pitching has not only been good, it's been significantly better than I ever imagined. I thought it was a team that was pretty thin in the rotation, and they still kind of are. I mean, you have one injury to this rotation, you got some big-time questions to answer. I thought the bullpen would be solid, but my biggest question mark was with the rotation. Those guys have been terrific. Chris Sale has been Chris Sale. Bryce Elder's made some great adjustments with a slider and changeup, and that's been enormous for him. And then the rest of the guys that we've seen, rookies like J.R. Ritchie, have stepped in and done a really nice job. So I think you have to credit the catchers for that. I think you have to credit Jeremy Hefner, the new pitching coach.
And those guys have been terrific. You're right, it's been a great formula, and I think their ability to do all those things is big, but I think their ability to come back late in games. They have a bunch of comeback wins this season, so whether they jump on a team early or whether they fall behind, I think they always feel like they're in a game.
Cubs have been able to turn that trick this year as well, so that'll make for, among other things, will make for an interesting three-game with the Cubs and the Braves.
What can we expect from the crowd at Truist Park tonight?
Matt Olson, man. I mean, look, this has always been a really good players, but off to an excellent start with the 14 home runs. Anything different in his approach and why is he having the year that he's having?
I think his timing more than anything has been better. I think he's hitting the ball just as hard as he has been. I mean, you go back to 2023, he hit 54 home runs. But we're seeing the average a lot better right now. We're seeing a better time swing.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What are the expectations for the Cubs-Braves series?
0:00–0:37
2
How have the Braves performed this season so far?
0:37–1:26
3
What factors have contributed to the Braves' success in 2026?
1:26–2:11
4
Why is Matt Olson having an outstanding season?
2:11–3:10
5
What can we expect from the crowd at Truist Park tonight?
3:10–3:55
6
How do the Braves plan to handle their pitching rotation?
3:55–5:09
7
What role does Walt Weiss play in the Braves' success this year?
5:09–6:12
8
What makes Chris Sale a unique pitcher in today's game?
6:12–12:15
Speakers
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