Sean Murphy returns to the five-hole as Braves take aim at Brady Singer, Reds

Can Sean Murphy retake the team lead in homers after Austin Riley’s two-dinger game?

Sean Murphy, once upon a time, did lead this team in homers. Then Big Bad Austin Riley came and had a two-homer game, and now Murphy does not. But, he’s back in the five-hole tonight, in what has become The Standard Atlanta Braves Lineup (for the moment):

The Braves have used 25 lineups through 33 games. They have not used a single lineup more than twice, except this lineup, which they will be using for a fifth time tonight. They’re 2-2 with it so far, winning both games of the Arizona series where they used it, but losing both games against the Dodgers last week.

As for the Reds, it’ll be a mix of familiar and unfamiliar faces:

The top portion of this lineup is pretty standard for Cincinnati, but the rest is a bit of a jumble as Noelvi Marte is out of the lineup for whatever reason. Tyler Callihan will make his third career start given that the hot-hitting Austin Hays recently hit the shelf thanks to a hamstring problem. The Reds used this lineup on Saturday and scored six runs… but gave up 11 in a loss to the Nationals.

Every member of the Braves’ lineup has faced Brady Singer at least once. Collectively, we’re talking a .438 wOBA on a .353 xwOBA in 48 PAs; Murphy took him deep in both 2023 and 2024, while Matt Olson, Alex Verdugo, and Austin Riley have also all popped a longball off Singer. Murphy also has two doubles and a single against Singer in just eight PAs; Verdugo has the amusing-but-not-unexpected .443 wOBA on a .217 xwOBA off Singer in 11 total PAs.

A handful of Reds have faced AJ Smith-Shawver, though none have mor than two PAs against him, and all of this came back in 2023. Elly de la Cruz had a homer and double off Smith-Shawver that June, and Jake Fraley also took him deep, as Smith-Shawver allowed three longballs in what ended up being a crazy 11-10 loss in Cincinnati.