Atlanta @ Philadelphia preview
Citizens Bank Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 7, 2010 ) Atlanta 7, Philadelphia 5
Trailing Philadelphia by three games in the NL East, the Atlanta Braves couldn't ask for a better opportunity than the one right in front of them. But with the Phillies' top three pitchers waiting in the wings, taking advantage of that opportunity certainly won't be easy.
The Braves look to cut into the Phillies' division lead on Monday when the teams open a critical three-game series at Citizens Bank Park.
After sitting in first place in the NL East from May 31-Sept. 6, Atlanta found itself three games behind Philadelphia on Wednesday following two straight losses to Washington. An off-day on Thursday served the Braves well as they completed a three-game road sweep of the New York Mets on Sunday behind Derrek Lee's 11th career grand slam.
The blast helped give Atlanta its fourth consecutive win away from home, a streak it hopes to continue in the City of Brotherly Love. But the Phillies haven't exactly been kind hosts of late, winning each of their last six home games.
Sunday's triumph at Citizens Bank Park over Washington came in dramatic fashion. Entering the bottom of the ninth inning with a 6-3 deficit, Philadelphia staged a four-run rally with four straight hits against Nationals closer Drew Storen, the last being a walk-off two-run homer by Jayson Werth.
The victory was the seventh in a row for the Phillies, who have outscored their opponents, 47-19, during the run. Philadelphia has won 11 of its last 12 games, 19 of 23 and is 41-15 since July 21.
One reason for the Phillies' rise to the top of the NL East has been Cole Hamels, who has won each of his last four starts and allowed more than two earned runs just once in his last eight outings.
On Tuesday, Hamels yielded a first-inning run against the Florida Marlins to end his scoreless streak at 25 frames. But that was all the Marlins could muster off the left-hander, who allowed five hits and struck out a season-high 13 in 6 2/3 innings en route to a 2-1 victory.
Hamels has had his difficulties against the Braves this season, going 1-1 with a 6.40 ERA in three meetings this season. The 26-year-old is 8-5 with a 4.25 ERA in 17 career outings vs. Atlanta.
Several Braves have found success against Hamels. Brian McCann is 11-for-33 (.333) with a home run and 10 RBIs, Omar Infante is hitting .385 (10-for-26) and Martin Prado has recorded 10 hits in 29 at-bats (.345).
In 16 starts at home this year, Hamels is 6-5 with a 2.99 ERA.
Jair Jurrjens will try to prevent Philadelphia from extending its winning streak to a season high-tying eight games while also end a personal two-game skid. On Tuesday, he surrendered four runs and nine hits over five innings in a 6-0 loss to Washington.
Jurrjens is 3-3 with a 2.56 ERA in nine lifetime starts against the Phillies. The right-hander did not figure in the decision of Atlanta's 6-3 triumph on July 6, when he gave up three runs and two hits in six frames.
Chase Utley is just 5-for-22 (.227) against Jurrjens over his career, but three of those hits have been home runs.
The 24-year-old Jurrjens has struggled on the road in 2010, going 1-4 with a 5.81 ERA in 10 outings.
Atlanta, which also will face Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt in the series, enters the showdown with a 2 1/2-game lead over San Diego in the NL wild-card race.