Next for Braves: at Phillies
Series preview: Braves at Phillies
When (TV): 7:05 p.m. Monday (FSSO), 7:05 p.m. Tuesday (SPSO),7:05 p.m. Wednesday (FSSO), 1:05 p.m. Thursday (SPSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 106.7
Probable starting pitchers:
Monday: Braves RH Ervin Santana (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RH Roberto Hernandez (1-0, 4.35)
Tuesday: Braves RH David Hale (0-0 2.89 ERA) vs. LH Cliff Lee (2-1, 5.50)
Wednesday: Braves RH Julio Teheran (1-1, 2.84) vs. TBA
Thursday: Braves LH Alex Wood (2-1, 1.89) vs. TBA
About the Braves:
Batting: Justin Upton had five extra-base hits and six RBIs over three consecutive three-hit games before Sunday, when he homered in the first inning against Washington for his fourth home run in four games…. Freddie Freeman was among the NL's top five in average (.425), OBP (.511) and slugging percentage (.725) before Sunday, when he hit his fourth home run…. Before his RBI double in the second inning Sunday, Jason Heyward was 3-for-35 (.086) in his past nine games, with eight hitless games…. The only Braves regular with as many as seven at-bats against Hernandez is B.J. Upton (3-for-12).
Pitching: Santana is 5-4 with a 2.81 ERA in 15 starts since the All-Star break, including eight scoreless innings of three-hit ball to beat the Mets in his Braves debut Wednesday. He's only faced the Phillies once, a 2008 win at Philadelphia in which he allowed just two hits and one unearned run in seven innings…. Against the Phillies, Hale is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in one start; Teheran is 1-2 with a 5.79 ERA in four games (three starts); Wood is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in seven games (two starts).
Miscellaneous: Entering Sunday, Craig Kimbrel led the majors in saves (five) and the NL in strikeouts per nine innings (19.06)…. Citizens Bank Park is among the majors' most hitter-friendly venues, but the only current Brave with an average above .252 there is Chris Johnson (.277), and the lone Brave with a slugging percentage higher than .450 (minimum five games) is Andrelton Simmons (.490). The shortstop is 11-for-49 (.224) with three homers in 13 games at Philadelphia.
About the Phillies:
Batting: Chase Utley had hit safely in all nine games before Sunday and led the NL in both slugging percentage (.778) and OBP (.537). He was 12-for-23 (.522) with four doubles, two homers and eight RBIs in his past six games before Sunday, and was 6-for-10 with runners in scoring position…. Jimmy Rollins had a .316 average with two homers and a team-high 10 RBIs in nine games before Sunday. He was 5-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
Pitching: Hernandez had 14 strikeouts with only two walks in 10-1/3 innings over his first two starts, but his 10 hits allowed included a homer in each game. He got no decision after allowing seven hits and four runs (three earned) in five innings Wednesday vs. Milwaukee. Hernandez's only start against the Braves came in 2007.
Miscellaneous: Fewer pitchers have been tougher on the Braves in recent years than Lee, who is 7-6 with a 2.80 ERA in 15 starts against them, with a stunning 113 strikeouts and seven walks in 99-2/3 innings…. Jayson Nix is 2-for-11 with two homers against Santana. Marlon Byrd (5-for-27, HR) is the only other Phillie with more than four ABs against him.
By David O’Brien
