After besting the first place Phillies, Atlanta Braves embark on final trip of the first half

From The Diamond

The Atlanta Braves took a series a series from the first place Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend and look to carry that momentum out on the road for a seven-game trip this week. Grant McAuley recaps an important weekend for the Braves and delves into some of the most important storylines for the club. That includes some promising signs from the top of the lineup and the continuing struggles lower in the order, the strength of Atlanta's pitching staff, and some All-Star honors for a trio of players -- Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, and Marcell Ozuna -- who will be heading to Arlington Texas when the first half concludes. Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution checks in to discuss the sometimes puzzling results for the Braves in the first half, causes for optimism, causes for concern, and talk about the trade possibilities that general manager Alex Anthopoulos may explore at the Trade Deadline later this month. In three exclusive interviews, you'll also hear from Braves third baseman Austin Riley on how the club hopes to improve its results moving forward. Center fielder Michael Harris II shares his recovery from a hamstring injury that has kept him off the field for three weeks. And finally, righty AJ Smith-Shawver discusses his current rehab assignment and hopes to return to the club sooner than later. All of that and a trip around the big leagues to discuss the American and National League All-Star squads as well as some costly umpiring miscues for the Pittsburgh Pirates! From The Diamond airs live on 92-9 The Game in Atlanta on Sundays from 5-7 pm ET. You can also subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Every episode of the show and more great Braves coverage is available at FromTheDiamond.com.