Atlanta @ San Diego preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 29, 2012 ) Atlanta 2, San Diego 8

The Atlanta Braves own the biggest lead in any division in baseball, holding a 7 1/2-game edge over Washington in the National League East. Winners of 17 of their last 23 games, the Braves will look to continue the momentum when they continue a seven-game road trip with three games at the San Diego Padres starting on Monday night. Atlanta lost the first two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers before bouncing back to take the final two to improve to 7-2 in June.

San Diego appeared well on its way to taking three of four in Colorado before blowing a three-run ninth-inning lead in Sunday's series finale and eventually losing in 10 innings. The Padres have gone only 3-3 in their last six games despite averaging 6.5 runs in that span. The bullpen, missing injured closer Huston Street, imploded in the two losses to the Rockies with both defeats coming in walk-off fashion in the 10th inning.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), Fox Sports San Diego

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Julio Teheran (4-2, 3.30 ERA) vs. Padres RH Jason Marquis (7-2, 3.73)

Teheran is coming off a brilliant performance, striking out a career-high 11 and throwing 7 2/3 innings of no-hit ball before settling for a one-hitter in a 5-0 win over Pittsburgh. The 22-year-old Colombian has yielded only 13 runs in his last eight starts and has worked at least six innings in seven of them. He has given up only 18 hits in 29 2/3 innings over his last four outings.

Marquis also had a no-hitter going in his last turn before it was broken up after 5 1/3 innings. He wound up allowing two runs on three hits in 6 1/3 innings to improve to improve to 6-0 over his last eight starts - a stretch in which he has permitted more than three runs only once. Marquis has not fared well against Atlanta with a 3-5 record and 7.69 ERA in nine starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Atlanta starting pitchers have allowed three earned runs in 35 innings (0.77 ERA) in the past five games.

2. Padres SS Everth Cabrera is 22-for-48 with eight multiple-hit contests during a 10-game hitting streak.

3. Braves C Gerald Laird is 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles lifetime against Marquis.

PREDICTION: Braves 6, Padres 2