Miami @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 22, 2016 ) Atlanta 0, Miami 3

The Atlanta Braves own the worst record in the National League but they have had their way against the Miami Marlins this season. The Braves have won six of the eight matchups between the NL East rivals as they prepare to host the Marlins in a four-game series beginning Thursday night.

Miami opened its nine-game road trip with a pair of losses in Detroit, wasting a combined 32 hits in the series and stranding 12 runners in each setback. Ichiro Suzuki was 4-for-9 in the series and needs 12 hits to become the 30th major league player to reach 3,000 for his career. Atlanta is coming off a three-game sweep against the white-hot Cleveland Indians to fall to 2-5 on its 11-game homestand. Braves second baseman Jace Peterson had a pair of doubles Thursday to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 10 games.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Miami), FSN Southeast (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins LH Wei-Yin Chen (4-2, 5.00 ERA) vs. Braves RH Mike Foltynewicz (2-2, 3.51)

Chen rebounded from his worst outing with one of his best, striking out seven and limiting the Chicago Cubs to two runs on five hits over seven innings in a no-decision. He lasted only 2 1/3 innings versus Colorado in his previous turn and was shelled for six runs on seven hits. He's 1-0 over his last seven starts despite giving up at least four runs four times, but is 1-0 with a 1.47 ERA in three starts versus Atlanta.

Because of an injury to John Gant, Foltynewicz is expected to be activated off the 15-day disabled list to make his first start since May 30 when he held San Francisco to one run and three hits over six innings. Rehabbing from an elbow spur, Foltynewicz tossed five scoreless innings of one-hit ball at Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday. He made six starts for Atlanta in May, allowing two runs or fewer in four of the last five.

WALK-OFFS

1. Miami RF Giancarlo Stanton is 2-for-18 versus the Braves this season, dropping his career average to .212 against them.

2. Atlanta is the lowest-scoring team in the majors, but they have put up 35 runs in eight meetings versus Miami.

3. Marlins LF Christian Yelich is 7-for-17 during a four-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Marlins 5, Braves 3