Arizona @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 5, 2014 ) Arizona 4, Atlanta 10

The Atlanta Braves’ offense for most of the first half of the season relied heavily on hitting home runs, but the major league’s hottest team has found other ways to score during a nine-game winning streak. The Braves vie for 10 in a row Sunday when they host the Arizona Diamondbacks in the finale of a three-game series, and Atlanta enters the contest having hit just three homers during their winning streak. The reeling Diamondbacks have dropped five of six and saw a 3-0 first-inning lead evaporate in Saturday’s 10-4 defeat.

Arizona is 3-6 in its previous nine games and has scored 26 runs in those contests, 13 coming in three innings (three in the sixth Thursday at Pittsburgh, seven in the ninth Thursday and three in the first Saturday). The Diamondbacks are 7-36 when they score three runs or fewer. Atlanta, despite having slugging catcher Evan Gattis on the disabled list, has scored five runs or more six times during the winning streak.

TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona (Phoenix), FSN South (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks LH Wade Miley (3-6, 4.61 ERA) vs. Braves LH Alex Wood (6-6, 3.19)

Miley’s past seven starts have ended as one-run games, and 15 of his 18 starts have been decided by a margin that is two or fewer. He struck out 10 in eight innings Tuesday at Pittsburgh, allowing two runs on four hits with no walks in a no-decision. Miley permitted one earned run in seven innings against the Braves on June 7, receiving a no-decision in a game that Arizona won 4-3.

Wood has made two strong starts since returning to the starting rotation, giving up three runs on nine hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts in 13 innings. After beating the Astros on June 25 with seven innings of shutout pitching, he received a no-decision against the Mets on Monday after allowing three runs on six hits. Wood pitched twice in relief against Arizona last month, giving up a hit in 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Atlanta CF B.J. Upton has two hits in each of the first two games of the series and carries a career-high 11-game hitting streak into Sunday.

2. Arizona RF Gerardo Parra snapped a 1-for-24 skid with two hits and a RBI Saturday.

3. Arizona C Miguel Montero has hit safely in eight of his last 10 games, collecting three hits Saturday.

PREDICTION: Braves 5, Diamondbacks 3