The Miami Marlins head to Truist Park on Wednesday, August 5 to face the Atlanta Braves in a 7:15 PM ET first pitch. Eury Pérez gets the ball for Miami against Atlanta's Bryce Elder in what shapes up as a pivotal NL East matchup. The Braves are sending out a deep, experienced lineup — Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Michael Harris II, and Austin Riley among them — so Pérez will need to be sharp from the first pitch. The Marlins have not released their starting lineup as of publication.

Marlins at Braves: Wednesday, August 5, 2026 Game Preview

Starting Pitchers: Eury Pérez vs. Bryce Elder

Eury Pérez is the story on the Miami side. The young right-hander has the kind of ceiling that makes every start worth watching. When he's locating his fastball and deploying that plus changeup effectively, he can neutralize any lineup in the National League. The Braves present a genuine test — Atlanta stacks right-handed bats throughout their order, and Pérez will need to work both sides of the plate and stay ahead in counts to keep this offense from doing damage.

Bryce Elder draws the assignment for Atlanta. Elder is a strike-thrower who lives in the zone and leans on weak contact rather than swing-and-miss stuff. He can be hit, but he also keeps his pitch count manageable and avoids the big inning if his defense is behind him. Miami's offense will need to be patient, work counts, and look for mistakes early in at-bats.

Atlanta Braves Lineup: Key Threats for Pérez

Brian Snitker's lineup is not subtle about its intentions. Drake Baldwin leads off in the DH spot, followed by Acuña Jr. in the two-hole — that is a difficult one-two combination to navigate right out of the gate. Matt Olson hits third and remains one of the most dangerous power hitters in the NL. Michael Harris II bats cleanup, Ozzie Albies sits fifth, and Austin Riley is lurking in the eight spot, which means there is no soft landing anywhere in this order for a pitcher who loses the strike zone.

Mauricio Dubón at shortstop and Lane Thomas in left round out the middle of the lineup. Sean Murphy catches and hits ninth, but Murphy is not a free out — he has real pop and will punish a hanging breaking ball.

Keys to Watch

• Pérez's command early: If he falls behind Acuña Jr. and Olson in the first two innings, Atlanta can put up crooked numbers in a hurry.
• Miami's plate discipline against Elder: He pounds the zone, so passive at-bats will result in weak contact and quick outs. The Marlins need to make him work.
• Bullpen depth: With no Marlins lineup confirmed yet, the shape of Miami's offensive output will determine how long Pérez is asked to go and how much the pen is tested.
• Riley in the eight spot: Hitting him eighth does not make him less dangerous. Pérez cannot relax with two outs in the later innings if runners are on base.

Prediction

This is a road game against a deep Braves lineup, and the margin for error is thin. Pérez has the talent to go toe-to-toe with any starter in baseball on a given night, and Elder is hittable if Miami stays disciplined. The Marlins will need a strong outing from Pérez — six-plus innings, limiting the damage from the top of that order — to have a realistic shot. Expect a competitive game that comes down to the middle innings. Marlins 4, Braves 3.

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