Series preview: at Pittsburgh Pirates
When (TV): 7:05 p.m. Monday-Wednesday (SPSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 106.7
Probable starting pitchers:
Monday: Braves RH Ervin Santana (12-6, 3.66) vs. RH Vance Worley (5-2, 2.51)
Tuesday: Braves RH Aaron Harang (9-7, 3.51 ERA) vs. LH Francisco Liriano (3-9, 3.78 ERA)
Wednesday: Braves LH Alex Wood (9-9, 3.07 ERA) vs. TBA
About the Braves:
Batting: Justin Upton homered Friday night to give him an RBI in six consecutive games, before the streak was snapped Saturday. Entering Sunday night he'd hit 15 home runs at Turner Field this year and only seven on the road. Freddie Freeman had hit safely in 11 of his past 13 games entering Sunday, batting .420 (21-for-50) over that time with seven doubles, two home runs and nine RBIs. He had raised his season batting average to .294, the highest it's been since June 13.
Pitching: Santana has won five straight decisions and six of his past seven to claim the Braves' staff lead in victories (12). He is 7-1 with a 2.95 ERA in his past nine starts since a loss in Washington June 22. Santana has allowed two or fewer runs six times in that span including a 3-2 win against the Dodgers his last turn for the Braves' only win in a four-game series. He walked two and struck out nine batters. This is the first time the long-time Angel and short-time Royal has ever faced the Pirates.
Miscellaneous: The Braves head back out on the road where they went 0-8 in Los Angeles, San Diego and Seattle to match their longest road losing streak since 1949.
About the Pirates:
Batting: Starling Marte was 15-for-43 (.349) with six doubles, a triple, a home run and six RBIs in his previous 12 games entering Sunday. Travis Snider entered Sunday on a seven-game hitting streak, while batting 10-for-26 (.385) with three home runs and seven RBIs. The Pirates lost the first two games of their weekend series against the Nationals to extend their losing streak to four games. The Pirates have the best home record in the National League at 39-24.
Pitching: Worley was 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA in his previous four starts before the Tigers got five runs (three earned) in an 8-4 win against him Wednesday. The former Phillies right-hander is 1-2 with a 5.81 ERA in seven starts against the Braves. The Braves knocked him out in the fourth inning the past two times they faced him – Aug. 6, 2012 with the Phillies with four runs in 3 2/3 innings, and May 22, 2013 with the Twins with eight runs in 3 2/3 innings. But Worley has had a much better year with Pittsburgh, going a 7.21 ERA in 10 starts with the Twins to a 2.51 ERA in 10 starts (11 games overall) with the Pirates.
Miscellaneous: Former Brave Charlie Morton (5-12, 3.84 ERA) was originally scheduled to pitch Wednesday but went on the DL Sunday with a hip injury. Andrew McCutchen is on the DL with a broken rib after getting hit by a pitch from former Brave Randall Delgado, now with Arizona. He was hit in apparent retaliation for Paul Goldschmidt's season-ending hand injury after he was hit by Pirates reliever Ernesto Frieri.
- Carroll Rogers
