Atlanta @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 1, 2012 ) Atlanta 1, Pittsburgh 2

The Atlanta Braves won’t be the National League East champions, but they’re still headed to the postseason. Atlanta settled for the NL’s top wild card spot after Washington clinched the NL East with the Braves’ 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday. The Braves will start Kris Medlen in Friday’s wild card game in Atlanta against either St. Louis or the Los Angeles Dodgers. With the NL East title no longer in question, the Braves may rest a few regulars such as Chipper Jones, Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward during the final two games against the Pirates. Jones started his seventh straight game Monday and will almost surely have the day off Tuesday.

The Braves have won seven of their last nine games and 19 of their last 27 overall, but they’d like to see their offense improve after scoring two or fewer runs in 12 of their past 25 games. It has been a terrible second half for the Pirates, who clinched their 20th consecutive losing season Sunday. On a positive note, Pittsburgh has a chance to match its highest win total of the last 20 years with one more victory. Pittsburgh won 79 games in 1997.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), ROOT (Pittsburgh)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Tommy Hanson (12-5, 4.27 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Kevin Correia (11-11, 4.33)

Hanson was 0-4 with a 5.06 ERA in his last seven outings before turning in a solid outing against the Marlins on Thursday, when he allowed two runs (one earned) over 5 1/3 innings. Andrew McCutchen is 1-for-7 against Hanson, who gave up one run over six frames against the Pirates on April 27.

Correia allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings on Thursday against the Mets, snapping a string of four starts when he pitched at least six frames. Correia, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, has a 3.99 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings over his last five starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Braves 2B Dan Uggla missed Monday’s game as a precaution because of swelling in his right hand.

2. McCutchen’s .329 batting average ranks second in the National League behind San Francisco’s Buster Posey, who is hitting .336.

3. Braves closer Craig Kimbrel has converted 42-of-45 save opportunities while posting an ERA of 1.03 with 113 strikeouts and only 26 hits allowed in 61 2/3 innings pitched.