Atlanta @ San Diego preview
Petco Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 12, 2010 ) Atlanta 2, San Diego 17
The San Diego Padres gave the Atlanta Braves a rude welcoming in the two squad’s series opener on Monday.
The Padres posted 17 runs in the victory, a startling amount given their lack off offensive fortitude a season ago.
San Diego ranked last in the majors in runs per game with 3.94 and batting average at .242 in 2009, and began the current season by scoring only 19 runs over the opening six games.
The Padres will have a tougher time continuing the offensive onslaught as Braves ace Tommy Hanson takes the mound in the Wednesday’s second tilt of the three-game series.
Hanson went 11-4 with a 2.89 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 21 starts to finish third in National League Rookie of the Year voting last season.
The right-hander stuttered in his start on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs, allowing a pair of home runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings to take the loss.
The 23-year-old Southern California native has one win in one career start against San Diego.
Opposing him will be Clayton Richard, who hasn’t fared well against the Braves, but is undefeated at home since joining the Padres.
Richard was roughed up for six runs on nine hits in 2 1/3 innings in a 9-1 loss to the Braves last August.
The left-hander, however, is a perfect 4-0 with a 2.00 ERA at Petco Park since arriving via trade last year.
In his season-debut on Friday against the Colorado Rockies, Richard allowed three runs in seven innings to take the defeat.
Kyle Blanks supplied much of the offense in Monday’s rout of the Braves, recording three hits - including a home run - and driving in a career-high five runs.
Will Venable also recorded three hits and a home run and Chase Headley improved his team-best average to .448 with a pair of hits in the win.
Braves center fielder Jason Hayward continues to post strong numbers during his first few weeks in the majors. He is batting .269 and leads the team in homers with three and RBIs with nine.
Chipper Jones played in Monday’s contest despite dealing with lingering back spasms over the past few days. The third baseman has gotten off to a slow start with a .167 average and three RBIs.