Milwaukee @ Atlanta preview
Turner Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 16, 2010 ) Milwaukee 9, Atlanta 3
The Atlanta Braves have lost consecutive home games only once all year, and they hope their ace, Tim Hudson, can help them keep it that way.
Hudson and the Braves look to bounce back from Friday's 9-3 loss when their four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers continues on Saturday at Turner Field.
The Braves haven't lost two in a row at home since April 21-22 against the Philadelphia Phillies. The setbacks marked the start of a nine-game losing streak. Atlanta is 45-23 since that skid ended on April 30, and it has held first place in the NL East since May 31.
Hudson (9-4, 2.30 ERA) is a big reason why. The resurgent veteran has been a workhorse for the Braves, especially lately. He has pitched seven innings or more in each of his last seven starts.
The All-Star right-hander hopes to pick up where he left off before the break. In his last outing, he held the New York Mets to four hits over seven scoreless innings.
Hudson has fared well against the Brewers since coming to the National League - he is 3-2 with a 2.98 ERA in seven starts against them, including a victory May 11 at Miller Park in which he limited Milwaukee to one run and six hits over six innings.
As the Brewers showed Friday, though, it's tough to keep their potent lineup down for long. After scoring a total of eight runs in their first four games against the Braves this season - all losses - the Brewers pounded 16 hits in Friday's 9-3 win.
All-Star outfielder Ryan Braun delivered one of the biggest blows, a two-run homer in the third inning. Braun is 5-for-11 lifetime against Hudson, and fellow outfielder Jim Edmonds also has fared well against him, going 10-for-23 (.435) with a homer.
Milwaukee's Randy Wolf quieted the Braves' bats Friday, and they hope another left-hander can do the same on Saturday as Chris Narveson (7-6, 6.02 ERA) gets the start.
The 28-year-old left-hander started the season in Milwaukee's bullpen, and he has had mixed results since joining the rotation in early May. In 13 starts, Narveson has posted only four quality starts and is 6-6 with a 5.90 ERA.
Narveson's last outing was a disaster, as he allowed 10 runs - nine earned - over 3 1/3 innings in a 15-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants on July 7. He surrendered a season-high three home runs in the contest.
No member of Atlanta's roster has faced Narveson in the majors.
Just when the Braves were getting healthy in the outfield with rookie Jason Heyward and Matt Diaz back after stints on the disabled list, third baseman Chipper Jones left Friday's game with a mild left hamstring strain. He is listed as day-to-day.