San Diego @ Atlanta preview
Turner Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 20, 2010 ) San Diego 1, Atlanta 4
The Atlanta Braves are rumored to be in the market for an outfielder who can add some offensive pop for a potential playoff push.
Matt Diaz seems determined to prove they don't need one.
Diaz continued his hot hitting Tuesday, hitting a homer and driving in three runs to help the Braves reclaim the best record in the National League with a 4-1 win over the San Diego Padres at Turner Field.
The Braves were spread a bit thin in the outfield while Diaz spent about six weeks on the disabled list after surgery on his right thumb. With the nagging thumb injury bothering him, he hit .178 before the surgery, but he clearly is healthy now. In 13 games since returning, he's hitting .421 with four homers and 11 RBIs.
Dealing for an outfielder likely would mean sitting down Diaz, which suddenly doesn't seem like a good idea. He has multiple hits in six of his last nine games - and he was a late substitution in two of those games - and is 7-for-12 with three homers and eight RBIs in his past three games.
The Padres also have found an unexpected source of run production among their outfielders lately, as Chris Denorfia has hit three home runs in the past two games. Unfortunately for San Diego, Denorfia's solo shot Tuesday was all the offense the Padres could muster.
They managed only five hits against Jair Jurrjens and two relievers, and 23-year-old right-hander Tommy Hanson hopes to prolong the Padres' frustration at the plate tonight.
After a stellar rookie season, Hanson (8-6, 4.19 ERA) is in the midst of an inconsistent sophomore campaign. He has shown moments of brilliance - including an April 14 start at San Diego in which he held the Padres to one run over six innings - but he also has allowed five or more runs four times and has failed to last five innings on four occasions.
Lately, he has tended toward the latter. In his last five starts, he is 1-3 with a 6.93 ERA.
Pitching against the Padres might provide the cure. In two previous starts against them, Hanson is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA.
The Padres will counter with 30-year-old right-hander Jon Garland, who has struggled a bit over the past two months after an outstanding start to the season.
Garland (9-6, 3.45 ERA) won six straight decisions at one point, but he has leveled off and gone 3-4 with a 5.29 ERA in eight starts in June and July.
In two starts against the Braves, Garland is 0-2 with a 14.04 ERA. Omar Infante is 17-for-40 (.425) against Garland, and Eric Hinske is 14-for-38 (.368) with three homers at his expense, but both did most of their damage against him while playing in the American League.