Atlanta @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 19, 2013 ) Atlanta 0, Pittsburgh 6

The Atlanta Braves faced some solid pitching Friday. They hope to provide some of their own Saturday in the third of four straight against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Braves sent the minimum of 27 men to the plate in a 6-0 loss to Wandy Rodriguez and the Pirates on Friday. It marked just the third loss for Atlanta, each coming on shutouts. Posting zeroes is something Braves starter Paul Maholm knows all about, as he attempts to remain unscored upon in 2013.

Since losing four in a row, Pittsburgh has won seven of its last 10 and it has six of its eight wins at home. With just a little consistency on the mound, it could be a real factor in the National League Central this season. Rodriguez allowed only one hit in seven scoreless innings Friday and A.J. Burnett did the exact same thing Wednesday. Before Burnett's outing was a 10-6 loss to St. Louis and in between the two gems was a 6-4 loss to Atlanta in which the Braves hit four home runs.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), MLB Network

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves LH Paul Maholm (3-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Pirates RH James McDonald (1-2, 5.27)

Maholm, a Pirate for seven years earlier in his career, is the right man to get the Braves back into the win column. His early-season run of dominance has included 20 1/3 scoreless innings, during which he has given up just 11 hits and struck out 20. The southpaw also ended spring training with 24 1/3 frames without allowing an earned run, so he is pushing two months without giving up an earned run. Although his Pittsburgh career had some ups and downs, Maholm is 36-32 with a 3.75 ERA in 99 career starts at PNC Park.

Coming off a solid 2012 campaign and opening up with a solid effort in his debut this year, the 28-year-old McDonald had the look of a guy who was putting it all together. He then struggled a bit in a five-inning start at Arizona before getting rocked by St. Louis on Monday, when he gave up eight runs - three earned - on eight hits and two walks in just 1 2/3 innings. McDonald did have one of his better 2012 outings against the Braves on April 30, when he struck out 10 and allowed three runs in 7 2/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Atlanta is 13-0 when it homers, 0-3 when it does not.

2. Pirates SS Clint Barmes is 15-for-34 with two homers, a triple, three doubles and four walks against Maholm.

3. Braves 1B Freddie Freeman (oblique) began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday. He was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

PREDICTION: Braves 6, Pirates 3