Braves open – After another successful road trip, the Braves return to Truist Park for a quick home stand starting Monday night against Toronto, with former Brave Kevin Gausman set to pitch Tuesday. Bryce Elder is on the mound Monday, trying to bounce back after his roughes
The Braves are finally back in Atlanta, and the timing feels simple: they’ve got momentum from the road, now they want it to carry through a home stretch.
On Monday, June 1, at 7:15 pm EDT, they’ll take the field at Truist Park against Toronto. Radio coverage is listed at 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan. Tuesday brings a different kind of storyline for the Braves—former Brave Kevin Gausman will take the mound.
Gausman has pitched “at a star level” since leaving the Braves, with the Braves reportedly doing the scouting part right. The move that didn’t land the way everyone hoped, in this telling, was the development side. Now the Braves will face a right-handed pitcher who has essentially become a two-pitch arm.
Since leaving the Braves. Gausman is throwing his four-seamer and sinker over 90% of the time. with a slider used only as a “token” look. His fastball sits around 94 and carries strong extension and great life, especially along the horizontal axis. His splitter shows strong horizontal break and gets thrown below the zone frequently. a combination that’s been tied to “a bunch of whiffs.” The bottom line in the account is blunt: he’s a very good pitcher. But it also leans toward a specific hope—“a righty probably is better” for the Braves’ current platoon splits. so Atlanta will need to turn that advantage into runs.
Monday’s starter is Bryce Elder. and the immediate question isn’t his talent—it’s whether he can reset after his last outing. Elder has looked more like an enhanced version of himself rather than “prime Corey Kluber” of late. but he’s still having a good year and the Braves believe he can give them a chance to win when he takes the mound.
The problem is that his previous start was described as his worst by far. The lack of strikeouts, bad defense, and “BABIP luck” combined into a line of 6 runs over 3.1 innings. Elder will be looking to bounce back against a Toronto lineup that’s been built on talent but hasn’t delivered results this season. The numbers attached to that disappointment are specific: Toronto has been a bottom 10 team with a wRC+ of 94.
The Braves are hoping that Toronto’s season stays stuck in that gear—talent sitting there but not showing up. If it doesn’t, Atlanta gets a clean chance to turn the homecoming into something real, especially with Gausman looming right behind Elder.
The stakes feel clear not just in the pitching matchups, but in where the Braves stand overall. They come into tonight’s game against the Pirates with a 40-20 record. described as one of the best teams in baseball this year. The question now is what that strength looks like once June begins—how many more wins can they stack as this home stand begins at Truist Park and Toronto arrives first.
Atlanta Braves Toronto Blue Jays Kevin Gausman Bryce Elder Truist Park MLB June 1 game 40-20 record
Gausman back? Braves season about to get weird.
They say it’s a “two-pitch arm” like that’s a bad thing lol. Toronto pitching coach should’ve warned them? Also Bryce Elder better not have another rough outing or I’m done staying up for this.
Wait so Gausman left the Braves and basically turned into a machine using the same two pitches 90% of the time? That’s kinda what every pitcher does though… unless the Braves scoutings messed up or whatever. Anyway I don’t get the “a righty probably is better” part. Braves fans just scared of lefties now?
Truist Park 7:15 vs Toronto and Elder has to “reset” after his last outing—so basically vibes. And the article keeps talking about whiffs like that’s all that matters. If they’re facing a splitter below the zone a bunch, just sit there and don’t chase? But then again baseball writers always make it sound easy. I swear every home stand starts “with momentum” and then they still can’t hit in the 5th inning.