The week ahead: Even for interleague play, this will be a rarity: back-to-back home-and-away two-game series with Boston. Starting with a Memorial Day game with the Red Sox at Turner Field Monday afternoon, the teams play four in a row, concluding with Wednesday and Thursday night games at Fenway Park, where the Braves are 16-11. After that, the Braves are in Miami for their first NL East series in four weeks.
Best pitching matchup: Boston's Jon Lester (4-5, 2.67) vs. Aaron Harang (4-4, 2.98) Tuesday night. Don't let Lester's record fool you. He's pitching as well as anyone in the AL. In those five losses before Toronto beat him 7-2 on Thursday, the Sox had scored just five runs and were shut out twice. His 76 strikeouts were third-most in the AL entering the weekend. He is 1-1 lifetime against the Braves, beating them 4-1 as a rookie in 2006 and then losing to them 4-1 at Fenway two years ago. Harang, who has lost three of his past five starts after his 3-1 start, is 2-2 lifetime against the Sox.
Who's hot: Entering the weekend, Boston DH David Ortiz led the team in home runs (11) and RBIs (25). … Sox 1B Mike Napoli recently had his streak snapped at 33 games with reaching base. It was the second-longest streak in the majors. … Miami OF Giancarlo Stanton went into the weekend leading the majors with 45 RBIs. His 12 home runs were tied for second-most in the NL. … Marlins closer Steve Cishek, with a 0.79 ERA at home, has converted nine of 10 save chances.
Who's not: The reeling Sox entered the weekend with six consecutive losses. They are 10-15 at Fenway. … OF Grady Sizemore just finished a 1-for-12 homestand. C A.J. Pierzynski entered the weekend on a 1-for-13 slide. … The Marlins have not prospered against right-hander starters. They are 14-19 vs. righties and hit 22 points higher (.280) against lefties. … Miami lead-off hitter Christian Yelich had nine hits in his previous 48 at-bats (.188).
Notes: Red Sox OF Shane Victorino will be glad to see Turner Field, where he has a career .333 average with six homers and 30 RBIs in 60 games, most of them played with the Phillies. … Boston SS Xander Bogearts, 21, is the youngest player to spend a full season with the team since Tony Conigliaro was a 21-year-old starting outfielder in 1966. … The Marlins were fourth in NL home runs (49). … Scheduled Miami Saturday pitcher Anothony DeSclafani will be making his fourth career start after being called up from Double-A to replace injured ace Jose Fernandez. … Former Braves SS Rafael Furcal has been on Miami's DL all season with a strained hamstring.
