Cincinnati @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( May 19, 2010 ) Cincinnati 4, Atlanta 5

The way things have been going lately, fans can count on some late-inning drama when the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds get together.

The first-place Reds lead the National League with 13 comeback victories and they seemed poised for another in Wednesday's series opener before the Braves rallied for their second walk-off win in a row on Jason Heyward's two-out double in the ninth.

Now two of the league's best young pitchers square off for the encore, as the two-game series between two of the NL's hottest teams wraps up this afternoon at Turner Field.

The Braves have won seven of nine after they snapped the Reds' four-game winning streak Wednesday. Cincinnati still has won nine of 11 and the Reds maintained their half-game lead in the NL Central with the Cardinals' loss to Florida on Wednesday.

Now they turn to rookie Mike Leake to help keep them there.

Leake jumped straight to the majors without throwing a pitch in the minors, but with six quality starts in his first seven professional outings, he hasn't had a difficult time adjusting.

The 22-year-old right-hander has won four of his last five starts. He beat St. Louis on Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits over six innings.

To make it five of six, Leake will have to beat another of the league's best young pitchers in Tommy Hanson. The hard-throwing 23-year-old righty has been inconsistent this year, but when he has been good, he has been very good.

Two starts ago, Hanson threw eight scoreless innings in an 8-2 win at Milwaukee, but he was dinged for five runs on seven hits over seven innings in Saturday's 11-1
loss to Arizona.

Hanson has struck out seven or more in six of his eight starts this season. He has faced Cincinnati only once -- in his third career start on June 18, 2009 -- and he threw six scoreless innings, allowing three hits and four walks.

Hanson isn't the only young star emerging in Atlanta. Heyward, a 20-year-old rookie outfielder, went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a triple Wednesday to raise his average to .288.

Another rookie, the Reds' Chris Heisey, hit his second major league homer Wednesday. But it has been veteran leadership that has carried the Reds during their hot streak.

Outfielder Jonny Gomes is hitting .456 in his last 13 games after a 1-for-3 night Wednesday, and third baseman Scott Rolen went 3-for-5 with two RBIs Wednesday. Rolen is 8-of-16 with two homers and eight RBIs in the last five games.