Atlanta @ Colorado preview
Coors Field
Last Meeting ( Apr 18, 2010 ) Colorado 3, Atlanta 4
The Atlanta Braves head into a three-game set with the Colorado Rockies after spending the weekend getting their offense geared up for the thin air in Denver.
Atlanta (73-51) pounded the Chicago Cubs, 16-5, on Sunday in Lou Piniella’s last game as manager of the struggling franchise. With the victory, the Braves claimed two of three in the Windy City while putting up 25 total runs in the series.
Acquired last week from the Cubs in exchange for three pitching prospects, Derrek Lee recorded his first hit for his new team with a three-run double on Sunday after going hitless in his first two games with the Braves.
Leadoff man Omar Infante is working on an 11-game hit streak, during which he’s batting .447 with seven RBIs and 13 runs.
Atlanta has now pushed across at least 10 runs in three of the club’s last eight games and will send Tim Hudson (14-5, 2.15 ERA) to the mound on Monday.
Hudson is 5-0 over his last six trips to the hill, boasting an 0.82 ERA over that span. The 35-year-old veteran had a stretch of 19 scoreless innings during the hot streak and has allowed more than three runs in an outing just twice all season. Hudson hasn’t been touched for a home run in six starts.
Jason Hammel (8-7, 4.36 ERA) will take the ball for the Rockies (63-60).
The hurler was lit up by the Braves back on April 16, giving up seven runs over 1 2/3 innings in a 9-5 loss. The 6-foot-6 right-hander comes into this one having gone at least six innings in each of his last four starts, but has only one win to his credit over his last seven outings.
Colorado will be happy to get home after failing to put up more than three runs in any contest during its six-game road trip against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks. The Rockies average 4.36 runs per game on the year.
Playing in his first game since crashing into the wall in an attempt to make a catch, Carlos Gonzalez went 0-for-4 on Sunday. He is batting .315 this season.
Colorado sits seven games off the pace in both the NL West pennant race as well as the chase for the card.
For its part, Atlanta remains 2.5 games ahead of the second-place Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.