Series preview: vs. Twins
When (TV): 7:10 p.m. Monday (SPSO), 7:10 p.m. Tuesday (SPSO), 12:10 p.m. Wednesday (SPSO).
Radio: 680, 93.7, 100.5
Probable starting pitchers:
Monday: Braves RH Julio Teheran (2-1, 4.57 ERA) vs. RH Kevin Correia (4-3, 3.35)
Tuesday: Braves RH Tim Hudson (4-3, 5.12) vs. RH Mike Pelfrey (3-4, 6.57)
Wednesday: Braves LH Paul Maholm (5-4, 4.00) vs. RH Vance Worley (1-4, 6.20)
About the Braves:
Batting: Chris Johnson had three hits on Saturday to raise his team-best batting average to .339 and gave him his 13th multi-hit game of the season. Dan Uggla was out of the Braves lineup for the second time in four games on Sunday. He is 1-for-24 with three walks and 10 strikeouts in his past seven games after hitting safely in the previous seven. Evan Gattis is third among Braves with 22 RBI, despite not starting 12 games.
Pitching: Teheran has allowed three or fewer runs in each of his past four starts, while going 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA. Teheran has given up 32 hits over those 25 1/3 innings in that time but only eight earned runs in large part because he's walked only one batter (and struck out 14). That run started in Colorado on April 23, when he gave up 10 hits but only one run in seven innings.
Miscellaneous: The Braves host the Twins for the first time ever in interleague play, though the Twins have played exhibition games at Turner Field in 2002 and 2011, and at Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium in the 1991 World Series. The Braves have played three interleague series against the Twins, going 4-5 combined in Minnesota.
About the Twins:
Batting: Joe Mauer had a 15-game hitting streak snapped on Sunday with an 0-for-4 against the Red Sox, coming one game shy of his career-long. He hit .443 (27-for-61) during the streak, with 12 doubles and five RBIs. He sat out Friday with a stiff back but played both Saturday (DH) and Sunday (catching) against the Red Sox. Justin Morneau was 10-for-26 (.385) with three doubles and five RBIs in his previous five games entering Sunday.
Pitching: You'd think Twins starters would be unfamiliar to the Braves, given that the teams play so rarely. But the Braves know well Correia, the former Pirate, Pelfrey the former Met, and Worley the former Phillie. Correia is 1-2 with a 5.71 ERA in three May starts after going 3-1 with a 2.23 ERA in five April starts. He leads the Twins staff in wins (four) and ERA (3.35). Justin Upton is 14-for-42 (.333) with a home run and two RBIs vs. Correia.
Miscellaneous: The AL Central's last-place Twins have lost five games in a row and three consecutive series to the Orioles, White Sox and Red Sox. Their opponents have scored first in eight of their past 15 games, while the Braves have let their opponent score first in 11 games in a row. The Twins entered Sunday 12th in the American League with a 4.46 ERA.
- Carroll Rogers
