Series preview: vs Oakland Athletics
When (TV): 7:35 p.m. Friday (FSSO), 7:10 p.m. Saturday (FSSO), 8:07 p.m. Sunday (ESPN)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 106.7
Probable starting pitchers:
Friday: Braves LH Alex Wood (8-9, 3.08 ERA) vs. RH Jason Hammel (1-4, 5.90)
Saturday: Braves RH Julio Teheran (10-9, 3.06 ERA) vs. RH Sonny Gray (12-6, 2.86)
Sunday: Braves LH Mike Minor (4-8, 5.33 ERA) vs. LH Jon Lester (13-7, 2.51 ERA)
About the Braves:
Batting: Freddie Freeman is hitting .442 (19-for-43) with six doubles and five RBIs over his past 11 games, dating back to Aug. 2. Thursday was his third three-hit game in that span. Jason Heyward has reached base four times on three hits and a walk and stolen a base in his first two games back in the leadoff spot. He's hitting .257 this season as a leadoff hitter. Andrelton Simmons has driven in two key runs (via groundout and RBI single) in his first two games back from an ankle sprain.
Pitching: Wood recorded a career-high 12 strikeouts in his last outing Sunday night against the Nationals to help the Braves claim the weekend series with a 3-1 win. He's averaged 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings since replacing Gavin Floyd (elbow fracture) in the rotation on June 25. Wood has gone 3-3 with a 2.70 ERA in that time, allowing two or fewer earned runs in six of his nine starts, including his past three in a row. He is 2-3 with a 2.10 ERA in interleague play over eight games, including three starts.
Miscellaneous: The Braves are 4-10 in interleague play, going 0-4 against both the Mariners and Red Sox. They won series over the Astros and Angels, taking two of three each time. The Athletics, meanwhile, are 10-2 in interleague play, including a 7-1 record against NL East teams: the Marlins, Mets and Nationals.
About the Athletics:
Batting: The A's have lost four of their past five games, scoring just six runs in the four losses. They were batting just .231 over their previous 19 games entering Thursday. Their lone offensive outburst in that span was an 11-3 win over Kansas City and Jeremy Guthrie. Right fielder Josh Reddick is hitting .325 (27-for-83) with eight doubles, a triple and four home runs in 23 games since returning from the disabled list. The Middle Georgia College product has missed about six weeks with knee problems. Josh Donaldson's 10-game hitting streak was snapped Thursday.
Pitching: Hammel lost each of his first four starts since the Athletics acquired Jeff Samardzija and him in the blockbuster trade with the Cubs. He allowed 20 runs (18 earned) in 17 innings for a 9.53 ERA in that span. He's coming off a good one though, his first win, after pitching 5 2/3 shutout innings against Tampa, the team that first drafted the Greenville, S.C. native in 2002. Hammel faced the Braves May 9 with the Cubs, holding them to two earned runs in seven innings but took a no-decision in a 3-2 loss. Former Brave Eric O'Flaherty is 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA in his first 11 appearances coming off Tommy John surgery.
Miscellaneous: The Athletics' streak of 105 days in first place is their longest since 1988. Emilio Bonifacio was Cubs teammates with Hammel the last time he faced the Braves. Bonifacio is 2-for-9 against Hammel for his career. Lester has won his first three starts for the A's, including the one which snapped the Royals' eight-game hitting streak on Tuesday night.
- Carroll Rogers
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