Series preview: vs. Reds
When (TV): 7:10 p.m. Thursday (SPSO), 7:35 p.m. Friday (FSSO), 4:05 p.m. Saturday (FSSO), 1:35 p.m. Sunday (FSSO).
Radio: 680, 93.7, 100.5
Probable starting pitchers:
Thursday: Braves RH Tim Hudson (5-7, 4.03 ERA) vs. RH Mat Latos (8-2, 3.18)
Friday: Braves RH Kris Medlen (6-8, 3.45) vs. RH Bronson Arroyo (7-7, 3.55)
Saturday: Braves LH Mike Minor (8-4, 3.05) vs. RH Homer Bailey (5-7, 3.70)
Sunday: Braves RH Julio Teheran (7-4, 3.09) vs. LH Tony Cingrani (3-1, 3.30)
About the Braves:
Batting: Chris Johnson went 2-for-4 Wednesday to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. He is hitting .429 (18-for-42) over the streak and now has a team-high 27 multi-hit games on the season. Justin Upton went 5-for-13 in the three-game series against the Marlins with four doubles, one home run and five RBIs. He is hitting .297 in July with seven extra-base hits in nine games.
Pitching: Hudson snapped a streak of 10 consecutive starts without a win his last time out on July 6, holding the Phillies to one run in seven innings while benefitting from a season-high 19 hits and 13 runs. He's allowed three or fewer earned runs in six of his past seven starts but hadn't won since May 5 against the Mets. Hudson's start against the Phillies was pushed back a day because of neck stiffness.
Miscellaneous: The Braves took two out of three against the Reds May 6-8 at Great American Ball Park. This time they host the Reds at Turner Field where the Braves have the majors' best home winning percentage at .659 (29-13).
About the Reds:
Batting: Brandon Phillips went 2-for-5 with three RBIs Wednesday to match his RBI total of the previous nine games. He had been hitting .196 in 28 games since getting hit in the forearm by a Tony Watson pitch on June 1. Shin-Soo Choo is on an eight-game hitting streak, while batting .394 (13-for-33) with three doubles.
Pitching: Latos went 21 starts from Aug. 29, 2012 through June 13, 2013 without a loss – the longest such streak in Reds history - while going 10-0 with a 2.80 and falling victim to five blown saves. Since then he's lost two of his past four starts, including a 4-0 loss to the Pirates June 18 and a 3-2 loss at Texas June 30. He is 3-2 with a 2.45 ERA in six careers starts against the Braves, allowing no more than three earned runs in any of them.
Miscellaneous: Phillips, a Redan High grad, was the first Reds second baseman voted to an All-Star start since Joe Morgan in 1972-78. The Reds are 2-4 in their past six games with series losses to the Mariners and Brewers.
- Carroll Rogers
