Atlanta @ Milwaukee preview
American Family Field
Last Meeting ( May 10, 2010 ) Atlanta 8, Milwaukee 2
Just when the Atlanta Braves seemed to be out of power and out of sorts during their nine-game road trip, they crashed the Milwaukee Brewers' return home with two home runs. Now, the Braves should also get their best hitter back.
Atlanta second baseman Martin Prado hit his first grand slam and Troy Glaus also homered in the sixth inning in the Braves’ 8-2 victory Monday night. Prado recorded a career-high five RBIs and has had great success against Milwaukee’s Manny Parra.
Prado hit a three-run homer off Parra last July 24, when he also drove in four runs. The grand slam was Atlanta’s first since 2008 and ended a streak of 253 games without one - Brian McCann belted the team's last one on July 25, 2008.
The Braves also should get sensational rookie Jason Heyward back in the lineup. The right fielder missed five consecutive games while battling a groin injury, but after batting practice and other drills pronounced himself ready to play on Tuesday.
As Heyward goes, so go the Braves. When Heyward fails to get a hit, Atlanta is just 1-10. He has eight homers and is a hefty 11-for-22 with runners in scoring position.
Atlanta also will try to get back-to-back solid pitching performances. Tommy Hanson kept the Brewers scoreless on four hits in eight innings Monday and struck out eight.
Tim Hudson (2-1, 2.82) will start for the Braves against right-hander Dave Bush (1-2, 4.19), who is 1-0 in three starts against Atlanta.
Hudson has allowed more than two runs just once in six starts. Hudson’s biggest nemesis on the Brewers is Ryan Braun, who is 5-for-11 against him. But Braun might miss the game after being hit on the left elbow in the fourth inning by Hanson.
The Braves had a setback with third baseman Chipper Jones aggravating his groin strain - first suffered Sunday - in the sixth inning Monday night. Jones has had various injuries and might not play on Tuesday.
Atlanta also received bad news on the pitching front Monday when right-hander Jair Jurrjens (0-3, 6.38 ERA) heard a “pop” in his left hamstring during running drills. Jurrjens said the injury is on a different part of the hamstring.
He will stay on the disabled list and have an MRI when the team returns to Atlanta on Thursday.
The Brewers placed center fielder Carlos Gomez (strained left rotator cuff) on the 15-day DL, retroactive to May 6. They called up outfielder Adam Stern from Triple-A Nashville.