Series preview: at Reds
When (TV): 7:10 p.m. Thursday (SPSO), 7:10 p.m. Friday (FSSO), 7:10 p.m. Saturday (FSSO), 1:10 p.m. Sunday (FSSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 106.7
Probable starting pitchers:
Thursday: Braves RH Julio Teheran (11-9, 3.06 ERA) vs. LH David Holmberg (0-0, 16.88)
Friday: Braves LH Mike Minor (5-8, 5.16) vs. RH Mat Latos (4-3, 3.10)
Saturday: Braves RH Ervin Santana (13-6, 3.71 ERA) vs. RH Mike Leake (9-11, 3.65 ERA)
Sunday: Braves RH Aaron Harang (10-7, 3.50 ERA) vs. RH Alfredo Simon (12-8, 3.35 ERA)
About the Braves
Batting: Justin Upton entered Wednesday on a 10-game hitting streak, batting .382 (13-for-34) over that time with four home runs and 14 RBIs. Five of those RBIs came Tuesday night, his first five-RBI night since Aug. 1, 2013, against the Rockies. Upton had hit three home runs in his previous five games. Freddie Freeman has eight multi-hit games in his past 16 games while batting .417 (25-for-60). His double Saturday night gave him 56 extra-base hits, sixth in the majors. He's on pace for 74 extra-base hits. The last Brave with 70-plus was Chipper Jones, who had 75 in 2007.
Pitching: Teheran had one of his finest outings of the season against the Reds on April 27, when he and Johnny Cueto dueled for eight shutout innings, allowing three hits apiece in a game the Braves won 1-0 in 10 innings. Teheran snapped a three-game losing streak his last start when he limited Oakland to two runs in six innings. He struck out just one batter to match his season low. Harang, a former Red who anchored Cincinnati's staff for eight seasons, is 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA in three starts against his old team.
Miscellaneous: The Braves swept three against the Reds at Turner Field on April 25-27, including two one-run games. Teheran has five pickoffs, tied for third-most in the majors.
About the Reds
Batting: The slumping Reds had lost nine of 11 games entering Wednesday in St. Louis and three of their previous four in walk-offs. The Reds have hit just .227 since the All-Star break, which ranks 29th in the majors, including .217 with RISP. Billy Hamilton had a six-game hitting streak entering Wednesday, while batting .370, and was second in the National League with 46 stolen bases. That's the most by a Red since Deion Sanders stole 56 in 1997 and eight shy of the Reds rookie record (Bob Bescher, 1909). Catcher Devin Mesoraco was hitless in his first 16 at-bats of the Reds' road trip.
Pitching: Holmberg was called up from Triple-A after a water main break in Denver postponed Dylan Axelrod's start and the Reds needed a fresher arm in Homer Bailey's rotation spot. Holmberg had been 1-6 with a 4.64 ERA in Louisville. This is his second start for the Reds and third overall in the majors. He pitched the second game of a doubleheader July 8 against the Cubs and gave up five runs, all on three home runs. Reds relievers were 0-10 with a 4.64 ERA since the All-Star break entering Wednesday, compared to Reds starters who ranked third in the NL with a 3.29 ERA in that same period.
Miscellaneous: Brandon Phillips, the Reds second baseman from Stone Mountain, was activated from the DL on Monday. He missed almost six weeks following surgery to repair a torn thumb ligament. He is wearing a brace and considers the thumb less than 100 percent but OK to play. He had one hit in his first eight at-bats back with three strikeouts. Joey Votto is still on the disabled list with a knee injury.
Carroll Rogers
