Series preview: at San Diego Padres
When (TV): 10:10 p.m. Friday (FSSO), 8:40 p.m. Saturday (FSSO), 4:10 p.m. Sunday (FSSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 106.7
Probable starting pitchers:
Friday: Braves LH Mike Minor (4-6, 5.23) vs. LH Eric Stults (3-13, 5.22)
Saturday: Braves RH Ervin Santana (10-6, 3.63 ERA) vs. RH Ian Kennedy (8-9, 3.66 ERA)
Sunday: Braves RH Aaron Harang (9-6, 3.43) vs. RH Tyson Ross (10-10, 2.60)
About the Braves:
Batting: Tommy La Stella was hitting .329 over his previous 23 games entering Thursday, including his second three-hit game in a four-game span in Tuesday's series opener. Justin Upton had three hits and a home run Wednesday night to make him 9-for-25 (.360) in the past seven games. He is six hits from 1,000 for his career. B.J. Upton struck out four times Wednesday night and seven times in the past two games to bring his majors'-leading strikeout total to 134.
Pitching: Minor saw progress with mechanical adjustments in his last start against the Padres Saturday, limiting them to three runs in 6 2/3 innings in an 8-3 win. He gave up eight hits, walked one and struck out six. This is after he'd gone 1-2 with a 7.86 ERA (23 earned runs in 26 1/3 innings) in his previous five starts, with an opponents' batting average of .342 and four home runs allowed.
Miscellaneous: The Braves won three of four from the Padres last weekend in Atlanta, while outscoring them 17-11. The Braves had lost five of six to the Padres last season. Harang grew up in San Diego and pitched for the Padres in 2011, going 14-7 with a 3.64 ERA in 28 starts.
About the Padres:
Batting: Entering Thursday, the Padres had scored 59 runs in the first 12 games since the All-Star break to lead the NL and trail only Toronto (75) and Oakland (69) in the majors. But the Braves limited them to six runs in the final three games last weekend at Turner Field. Third baseman Yangervis Solarte has driven in a run in seven of his first eight games since the Padres traded for him from the Yankees July 23. He is batting .364 (12-for-33) with two home runs and a triple in that span.
Pitching: Stults gave up six runs in six innings of the 8-3 loss to Atlanta Saturday to fall to 1-5 with a 4.24 ERA since June 17. All six of his hits allowed came in a six-run third inning, including two-run hits by Chris Johnson and Ryan Doumit. Entering Thursday, Padres starters had allowed three earned runs or fewer in 30 of their previous 33 games dating back to June 21 and led the majors with a 2.32 ERA during that time. Ross has a 1.10 ERA in July, second best to Clayton Kershaw (1.09) in the NL.
Miscellaneous: After going 1-for-3 against the Cubs in the first game after his call-up from Triple-A El Paso, Jeff Francoeur was 0-for-10 entering Thursday, with two walks and four strikeouts.
- Carroll Rogers
