Atlanta @ Pittsburgh preview
PNC Park
Last Meeting ( May 21, 2010 ) Atlanta 7, Pittsburgh 0
Flipping the calendar seemed to flip a switch for the Atlanta Braves' offense, and the power surge in May has the team climbing the NL East standings.
Heading into Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, the Braves are hitting .275 as a team in May, a dramatic spike from their NL-worst .227 average in April. They're averaging two more runs per game this month than last, up from 3.7 to 5.8 after a 7-0 win in the series opener at Pittsburgh on Friday.
Not surprisingly, Atlanta's record has improved accordingly.
Thanks in large part to the more productive offense, the Braves are 13-6 this month and have moved into second place in the division. Atlanta begins the day 4 1/2 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Braves have been even hotter of late, winning four in a row and nine of their last 11. During that 11-game span, they're hitting .297 as a team and averaging 6.8 runs per game.
They might not need much offense to keep it rolling on Saturday, because starter Derek Lowe has dominated Pittsburgh over the years.
Lowe has won all seven career starts against the Pirates, compiling a 2.89 ERA in the process. He's 5-0 with a 2.67 ERA in five starts at PNC Park. Only one of those wins came with the Braves, a 4-3 victory last June in which Lowe allowed three runs on seven hits over seven innings.
Of course, this isn't quite the same Pirates team that Lowe has beaten up over the years - no player on this year's team has more than 10 at-bats against him. Then again, no one has more than two hits against him, either.
Lowe (5-4, 5.47 ERA) has been inconsistent this season, but he has turned in quality starts his last two times out. He was a tough-luck loser against the New York Mets on Monday, allowing three runs on four hits over seven innings.
The Pirates will counter with former Braves pitcher Charlie Morton. The 26-year-old right-hander is 1-7 with a 9.68 ERA, the worst mark among starters in the majors. He has allowed five or more runs in six of his eight starts
Morton does have two quality starts in his last three outings, but he was knocked around for six runs on six hits over four innings in a 12-2 loss at Philadelphia on Monday.
He could have a tough time turning it around against a Braves lineup that is getting production from just about everyone.
Martin Prado and Troy Glaus have led the charge for most of the month, but Eric Hinske, Nate McLouth and Brian McCann have heated up over the past week, and Jason Heyward continues his sensational rookie year.
On Friday, Heyward went 3-for-4 with his team-leading ninth home run and three more RBIs, raising his team-high total to 33.