Milwaukee @ Atlanta preview
Turner Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 15, 2010 ) Milwaukee 1, Atlanta 2
The Atlanta Braves have beaten up on the Milwaukee Brewers this season but, then again, the Braves have done that to a lot of teams in 2010.
Atlanta has won five of six after taking the series opener from the Brewers 2-1 on Thursday at Turner Field, where the Braves have a major league-best 31-10 home record, one of many reasons they hold the best record in the National League.
The Braves are 4-0 against the Brewers this season, and they hope 23-year-old right-hander Tommy Hanson can help them stay undefeated against Milwaukee.
They have good reason to believe he can do exactly that, because Hanson is 1-1 with a 3.43 ERA in three starts against the Brewers, including a spectacular outing earlier this season. He allowed only four hits in eight scoreless innings at Milwaukee on May 10, striking out eight in the process.
Hanson (8-5, 4.13 ERA) is in the midst of an inconsistent sophomore season after finishing third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting a year ago, but he put together two consecutive strong outings before the All-Star break. He held Florida to just one unearned run over 6 2/3 innings July 3 and limited the Mets to two runs over 5 2/3 innings a week ago.
Should Hanson get into trouble, the Braves can turn to a bullpen that has been lights-out in July. After posting 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Jair Jurrjens on Thursday, Atlanta's bullpen has allowed only four earned runs in 26 2/3 innings of work this month.
The Braves' bats have shown some pop lately as well. Atlanta has hit 11 home runs in its past eight games, including solo shots by Martin Prado and Chipper Jones on Thursday.
And the lineup figures to be bolstered by the addition of shortstop Alex Gonzalez, who was 1-for-3 with a double in his first game after being acquired from Toronto, and the return of outfielder Jason Heyward, who was activated from the disabled list Thursday.
Dealing with that lineup tonight is the responsibility of 33-year-old left-hander Randy Wolf (6-8, 4.56 ERA), who hasn't beaten the Braves since 2003.
Wolf is 4-12 with a 5.31 ERA in 27 appearances (25 starts) against the Braves. He has lost his last five decisions against them.
Jones has had the most success against Wolf, going 20-for-51 (.392) with four homers and 10 RBIs at his expense. Catcher Brian McCann (4-for-9, 1 HR) and outfielder Matt Diaz (7-for-13) have also hit him well.
The Brewers' booming bats - they lead the National League with 111 home runs - cooled off Thursday, as Jurrjens and three relievers held them to one run on six hits.
Outfielder Corey Hart had two of those hits, including a solo homer in the first inning that tied him with Joey Votto and Adam Dunn for the National League lead with 22. Hart has hit safely in 26 of his last 27 games. He is hitting .348 with five homers and 24 RBIs during that stretch.