Atlanta @ San Diego preview
Petco Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 14, 2010 ) Atlanta 6, San Diego 1
In his first start of the season, Tim Hudson didn’t look like a guy who had missed a majority of last year because of Tommy John surgery.
Hudson, who surrendered a pair of runs on three hits over seven innings in a no-decision against the San Francisco Giants on Friday, was limited to just seven starts in 2009 as he worked his way back from the injury.
The 34-year-old has said that his shoulder feels stronger now than it has during the past few years.
Hudson will give it another go in the series finale against the San Diego Padres on Thursday.
For his career, the right-hander is 3-0 with a 4.29 ERA in seven appearances -- six of which were starts -- against San Diego.
Hudson will try to follow-up the strong performance Tommy Hanson put together in Wednesday’s 6-1 victory.
Hanson gave up a run on four hits, while striking out seven batters over six innings. It was a welcomed signed after Braves’ pitching was rocked to the tune of a 17-2 loss the day prior.
Taking the mound for the Padres on Thursday will be 22-year-old Mat Latos.
Latos, in his first full season in the majors, is making his 11th career start. The right-hander is 4-5 and owns a 4.62 ERA during that time.
Latos took a no-decision in his first appearance of 2010 against the Colorado Rockies, allowing four runs on seven hits in seven innings.
He has fared well in two previous starts against the Braves with a record of 1-0 and 1.29 ERA.
In Wednesday’s victory, Troy Glaus hit his first home run of the campaign for the Braves, a three-run shot in the seventh. He had been limited to 14 games last season because of injury.
Brian McCann had two hits and knocked in a pair of runs and rookie Jason Heyward added an RBI.
Adrian Gonzalez supplied San Diego’s only run with a fifth-inning single that put his squad ahead, 1-0.
The two squads will meet one more time this season, a three-game series beginning July 20 in Atlanta.