Colorado @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( May 24, 2014 ) Colorado 3, Atlanta 1

The Atlanta Braves are one week away from finishing a difficult May schedule, and still find themselves on top of the National League East. The Braves wrap up a three-game home series Sunday with Colorado before welcoming the defending World Series champion – and struggling – Boston Red Sox to Turner Field for a two-game set. The Rockies, who beat Atlanta 3-1 Saturday, played their first game without injured third baseman Nolan Arenado and saw outfielder Carlos Gonzalez miss a third consecutive game with a finger injury.

Colorado is 10-16 on the road and has scored three runs or fewer in seven of its previous eight games away from home. Troy Tulowitzki leads the majors in batting at .382, posting his 18th multi-hit game of the season Saturday and adding a solo homer to tie Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton for the NL lead with 14. Atlanta has won five of its past seven and holds a two-game lead in the East, despite facing San Francisco, St. Louis and Milwaukee in the past three weeks.

TV: 5:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), FSN South (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies LH Franklin Morales (3-3, 5.30 ERA) vs. Braves RH Julio Teheran (3-3, 1.92)

Morales won his final three starts of April but is 0-2 with a 6.55 ERA in four May starts. He got a no-decision against the Giants on Tuesday, allowing three runs on five hits with six strikeouts – by far his best effort this month. Morales has made one start in five career appearances against Atlanta, going 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA.

Teheran pitched his second complete-game shutout of the season Tuesday against Milwaukee, allowing six hits with eight strikeouts to snap a five-start winless streak. The 23-year-old delivered 83 of his 128 pitches for strikes, and has allowed two earned runs or fewer in eight of 10 starts. Teheran is 2-0 lifetime against the Rockies, posting a 1.50 ERA with two earned runs allowed and 14 strikeouts in 12 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Atlanta CF B.J. Upton is 5-for-10 in his past three games with no strikeouts.

2. Opponents are hitting .287 against Morales, who has a 6.67 ERA in his past five starts.

3. Colorado 3B Charlie Culberson, who is expected to see more playing time due to Arenado’s injury, had two hits and scored a run Saturday.

PREDICTION: Braves 5, Rockies 2