Florida @ Atlanta preview
Turner Field
Last Meeting ( Sep 5, 2010 ) Atlanta 6, Florida 7
While the NL East title has all but slipped through the hands of the Atlanta Braves, the wild-card berth still is within reach.
Considering they own the best home record in baseball, playing their final six games of the regular season at Turner Field has to be a boost to their confidence.
The Braves continue their quest for a playoff spot on Monday when they host the Florida Marlins in the opener of a three-game series.
Atlanta, which sat atop the NL East for more than three months, has fallen six games behind the Philadelphia Phillies, thanks in part to a 4-5 road trip that ended with losses in five of its last six contests.
On Sunday, the Braves rallied from a two-run deficit to forge a tie before Ian Desmond hit a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Washington Nationals a 4-2 victory.
Rick Ankiel hit a solo home run in the fifth and an RBI double in the seventh for Atlanta, which is a half-game behind the San Diego Padres in the race for the National League wild card.
The Braves now return home, where they are a major league-best 52-23, to finish out the schedule. However, they have lost two in a row and three of their last four at Turner Field.
Hoping to at least keep Atlanta less than a game out of a playoff position will be Tommy Hanson, who has pitched well down the stretch. In his last five starts, the right-hander has gone 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA, allowing only eight runs over 32 innings.
Hanson was forced to settle for a no-decision against Philadelphia on Wednesday despite yielding just two hits over six scoreless innings in a 1-0 loss.
The 24-year-old owns a 3-1 record and 3.64 ERA in five career meetings with Florida. This season, he has gone 2-1 with a 4.08 ERA in three starts against the Marlins, surrendering eight earned runs in 17 2/3 frames.
Monday will be Hanson's 17th start this year at home, where he is 5-5 with a 3.79 ERA.
Florida, which has lost three of its last four, will send Alex Sanabia to the mound for his 12th career start.
Sanabia has won two of his last three outings. On Wednesday, he gave up three runs and six hits in five innings en route to a 7-5 victory over the New York Mets.
In two starts against the Braves this season, the rookie has allowed six runs over 9 1/3 frames for a 5.79 ERA but did not record a decision.
The 22-year-old Sanabia has yet to lose on the road, going 3-0 with a 3.62 ERA in five starts and two relief appearances.
The status of Marlins star Hanley Ramirez for the series is unknown. The shortstop has missed Florida's last five games and may sit out the remainder of the season due to an elbow injury.