Atlanta @ Florida preview
Sun Life Stadium
Last Meeting ( May 25, 2010 ) Atlanta 4, Florida 6
The last time Tommy Hanson took the mound, he was feeling dizzy because of flu-like symptoms. By the time he left in the second inning against Cincinnati on Thursday, he instead was reeling from the worst outing of his brief but brilliant career.
Hanson allowed eight runs on eight hits in 1 2/3 innings against the Reds - though that was mostly forgotten after Atlanta's seven-run rally in the bottom of the ninth bailed him out.
Now the 23-year-old right-hander looks to help the Braves avoid losing three straight for the first time in nearly a month when he takes the mound tonight against the Florida Marlins at Sun Life Stadium.
Hanson (3-3, 4.18 ERA) has allowed five or more runs in consecutive starts for the first time in his career. The two rough outings came on the heels of Hanson's best start of the year, in which he allowed four hits and one walk over eight scoreless innings at Milwaukee.
After going 2-2 with a 2.17 ERA in April, Hanson has had a rough May. He's 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA in four starts this month. Facing Florida could be just what he needs, though - he's 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two career starts against the Marlins.
The Braves need him to keep up that success against Florida to avoid losing three straight for the first time since snapping a nine-game losing streak on April 30. They also need a win to pull back in front of Florida for second place in the NL East.
The Marlins regained the upper hand in the teams' tug of war with a 6-4 win Tuesday, getting another strong outing from Anibal Sanchez, a home run from struggling outfielder Cameron Maybin and another big hit from red-hot Cody Ross.
Ross has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games, hitting .400 during that span with two homers and 10 RBIs. His two-run double in the eighth inning Tuesday provided some needed insurance, as the Braves scored two in the ninth on Jason Heyward's two-run single.
Heyward returned to the lineup after sitting out Sunday because of a sore thumb, and he picked up where he left off with two hits and two RBIs. The rookie outfielder leads the Braves with nine homers and 35 RBIs, and he has three multi-hit games in the past week.
The Braves are also starting to get the production they expected from catcher Brian McCann, who has five multi-hit games since seeing his average dip to .229 on May 10. With a two-run double Tuesday, McCann has driven in eight runs in the 11 games during that span.
Both Heyward and McCann will be hard-pressed to keep it up against Florida starter Nate Robertson, who has been tougher on left-handed hitters throughout his career. Left-handed hitters hit 21 points lower against him than right-handers.
Robertson (4-4, 4.56 ERA) allowed four runs on six hits over six innings in taking the loss Thursday at St. Louis. He walked four and didn't record a strikeout for first time in nine starts this season.
The 32-year-old left-hander has faced the Braves only once, throwing one inning of scoreless relief in his first stint with the Marlins as a rookie in 2002.