Florida @ Atlanta preview
Turner Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 28, 2010 ) Florida 3, Atlanta 12
Nursing a slim lead in the National League East race, the Atlanta Braves look to pick up a series win when they meet the Florida Marlins in the rubber-game of a three game set on Sunday at Turner Field.
The Braves lead the Philadelphia Phillies by two games despite the fact that they are 4-6 in their last 10. Atlanta got some help from an unlikely source to remain in first place as the Houston Astros went into Citizens Bank Park and took four straight from Philadelphia.
The Phillies have rebounded to win two straight from San Diego, which has the best record in the NL, while the Braves rebounded themselves on Saturday.
Tim Hudson struck out a career-high 13 Marlins and Martin Prado added the run support with a career high-tying five RBIs in a 12-3 Atlanta victory. Florida opened the series with a 7-1 victory on Friday.
The victory snapped a four-game losing streak for the Braves, who are 8 1/2 games ahead of the Marlins. Florida needs to go on a tear and get some help if they have any shot at the postseason.
The Marlins send their ace to the mound today, but Josh Johnson will be happy to turn the page on the calendar after a sub-par August.
Johnson (11-5, 2.36 ERA) led the majors with a 1.72 ERA entering August and was in the thick of the National League Cy Young Award race. He's been unable to maintain that pace and is 1-2 in five starts this month.
Johnson's last three starts and five of his last six have come on the road. He allowed four runs and six hits in five innings in his last outing and did not figure in the decision as the Marlins lost to the New York Mets 6-5 on Tuesday.
Derek Lowe (11-12, 4.33) gets the start for the Braves. Lowe has lost three consecutive starts but has not pitched all that poorly in either of them.
Lowe has yielded one, four and three runs in those starts but the Braves have scored a total of five runs in that span. He allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings on Tuesday in Colorado, but the Braves dropped a 5-2 decision.
In 18 career games, including 13 starts, Lowe is 6-4 with a 5.03 ERA against Florida. He last faced them on July 23 and did not figure in the decision in a 7-6 Florida victory in which he allowed four runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.