Series preview: vs. Marlins
When (TV): 7:10 p.m. Monday-Thursday (SPSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 106.7
Probable starting pitchers:
Monday: Braves RH Julio Teheran (9-6, 2.71) vs. RH Tom Koehler (5-6, 3.99)
Tuesday: Braves LH Mike Minor (3-5, 4.86 ERA) vs. RH Jacob Turner (2-6, 6.22 ERA)
Wednesday: Braves RH Ervin Santana (8-6, 4.03) vs. RH Nathan Eovaldi (5-5, 4.08)
Thursday: Braves RH Aaron Harang (9-6, 3.36) vs. RH Henderson Alvarez (6-5, 2.64)
About the Braves
Batting: Chris Johnson hit a two-run homer Sunday against the Phillies to give him four home runs in his past five games. He hit three home runs in his first 90 games. Tommy La Stella cleared the bases with a three-run double Sunday to make the rookie 6-for-7 with three doubles, a triple and 13 RBIs with the bases loaded. La Stella entered Sunday's game hitting .340 over his previous 12 games, reaching base safely in 10 of them. He was leading NL rookies with a .292 batting average.
Pitching: First-time NL All-Star Teheran makes his first start after the break on seven days' rest. Teheran, who did not pitch in the All-Star game, won his last start July 13 against the Cubs 10-7. He has allowed nine earned runs on 18 hits in 10 1/3 innings over his past two starts, while allowing only six earned runs in 29 innings (1.86 ERA) over his previous four. The Braves have won both his starts against the Marlins this year, while he allowed only a combined three earned runs over 14 1/3 innings with two walks and 13 strikeouts.
Miscellaneous: Evan Gattis went 2-for-6 Sunday in his final minor league rehab game for Triple-A Gwinnett. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said after Sunday's game that the Braves expect to activate him and that he would start Monday night.
About the Marlins
Batting: The Marlins snapped a six-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, featuring only the second home run of the season by Casey McGehee. McGehee leads the NL in hits with 120, ahead of both Hunter Pence (118) and Andrew McCutchen (117). The Marlins optioned Ed Lucas back to Triple-A Sunday. Lucas had hit .274 with four doubles and seven RBIs in 16 games against the Braves, including 5-for-15 (.333) in six games this season.
Pitching: Koehler has quality starts in four of his past five outings, a seven-run game in Arizona being the lone exception. Koehler is matched up against Teheran for the second time this season. He took a tough 3-2 loss to Teheran on May 30 in Miami. Entering Sunday, the Marlins' bullpen had logged more innings (316 1/3) than any National League team except Colorado (319 1/3).
Miscellaneous: Alvarez left his last start Saturday against the Giants in the third inning after being hit in the left shin by a Joe Panik grounder. He is gearing up to pitch in his regularly scheduled start Thursday.
Carroll Rogers
