Series preview: vs Boston Red Sox
When (TV): 1:10 p.m. Monday (SPSO), 7:10 p.m. Tuesday (SPSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 106.7
Probable starting pitchers:
Monday: Braves RH Ervin Santana (4-2, 3.42 ERA) vs. RH Clay Buchholz (2-4, 6.32 ERA)
Tuesday: Braves RH Aaron Harang (4-4, 3.32) vs. LH Jon Lester (4-6, 3.36)
About the Braves:
Batting: B.J. Upton was 6-for-19 (.316) in his past six games with only one strikeout, entering Sunday. Chris Johnson was 4-for-22 (.182) on this homestand, with three of those hits coming Wednesday against the Brewers. Jason Heyward has hit .295 (36-for-122) in his past 31 games to raise his batting average from .136 to .243. The Braves were 1-for-18 with runners in scoring position in the first two games of the Rockies series, with Gerald Laird's game-winning RBI single Friday the only hit.
Pitching: Santana gave up a grand slam to Mark Reynolds in the first inning of his last outing – a 6-1 loss to the Brewers. He has given up 11 earned runs in 12 innings over his past two starts – both losses – after going 5-1 with a 1.99 ERA in his first six starts as a Brave. The former Angel and Royal is 4-3 with a 4.50 ERA in 13 career starts against the Red Sox. David Ortiz is 11-for-30 against him with three doubles and three home runs.
Miscellaneous: This is the first of the Braves' 20 games in interleague play. The Braves and the Cardinals are the last teams into the interleague fray in 2014. The Braves went 11-9 against the AL last year and have the best winning percentage (.530, 148-131) among NL teams in interleague play overall.
About the Red Sox:
Batting: The defending World Series champion Red Sox carry a 10-game losing streak into the series, their longest losing streak since they lost 10 straight June 8-19, 1994. They have hit .212 with six home runs, while averaging 2.6 runs per game. Xander Bogaerts is 13-for-31 (.419) with three doubles, two home runs and six RBI in his past eight games. The Red Sox put both Shane Victorino (hamstring) and Mike Napoli (finger) on the disabled list over the weekend.
Pitching: This is Buchholz's first appearance against the Braves. He is 4-0 with a 4.40 ERA in six career starts in interleague play. He has alternated quality starts with failing to get out of the fifth inning, while going 1-3 with a 5.91 ERA in four starts in the month of May. The Red Sox had the best bullpen ERA in the American League at 2.82 entering Sunday, when Craig Breslow gave up five earned runs in the seventh inning in a loss to the Rays. Burke Badenhop has not allowed an earned run in 20 1/3 innings.
Miscellaneous: The Red Sox are 26-28 against the Braves in interleague play but have won each of the past seven series. This is their first meeting since the Red Sox won two of three in Boston June 22-24, 2012. The Red Sox last series loss to the Braves came in 2004. Mike Hampton was the Braves' winning pitcher in the rubber game.
- Carroll Rogers
