Los Angeles @ Atlanta preview
Turner Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 13, 2010 ) LA Dodgers 0, Atlanta 1
Even with two key players on the disabled list, the Atlanta Braves apparently aren't ready to let go of their hold on the NL East lead.
The Braves will look to preserve or extend their three-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies when they continue their four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday at Turner Field.
With All-Star second baseman Martin Prado still working his way back from a broken pinkie on his right hand and iconic third baseman Chipper Jones out for the season with a torn ACL, the Braves' patchwork lineup keeps producing enough to stay atop the division. Atlanta has won five of six to keep the surging Phillies at bay.
In Friday's series opener against Los Angeles, it was Jones' replacement, Brooks Conrad, who delivered the game's only run with a seventh-inning home run. Prado's stand-in, fellow All-Star Omar Infante, also came through with two hits, and Tim Hudson made the paltry offensive output stand up for a 1-0 win.
The Braves hope to see more of the same on Saturday from veteran right-hander Derek Lowe, who is set to take on his former team.
Lowe (11-9, 4.40 ERA) won 54 games pitching for the Dodgers for four seasons before joining the Braves last year. He is 1-1 with a 3.42 ERA in four starts against Los Angeles and has held down most of the Dodgers' regular starters, with the exception of Rafael Furcal. The shortstop has fared well against him, going 6-for-17 (.353) with a home run.
Lowe will face a Los Angeles lineup that has been wildly inconsistent lately. In their past five games, the Dodgers have scored eight, 15 and nine runs with two shutouts mixed in between. They managed only four hits - all singles - in the series opener and have been shut out four times already this month.
The occasional offensive futility hasn't yet caught up to Ted Lilly, though. The 34-year-old left-hander has won his first two starts since the Dodgers acquired him from the Chicago Cubs, and he'll go for his third consecutive win on Saturday.
Lilly (5-8, 3.60 ERA) held the San Diego Padres to one run over seven innings in his Dodgers debut and limited the Washington Nationals to three runs over six innings in an 8-3 win Sunday.
In eight starts against Atlanta, Lilly is 3-2 with a 5.08 ERA. He has won his last three decisions against the Braves.
Atlanta has managed to endure injuries to its key players in large part because of Infante's consistent play filling in wherever needed. The All-Star utility player is hitting .354 in his last 15 games.
Conrad's numbers are less impressive - he's hitting .240 for the season - but he has delivered some big hits recently, including a game-winning homers Tuesday against the Houston Astros and Friday against the Dodgers.