Series preview: Braves vs. Marlins
When (TV): 7:35 p.m. Friday (SPSO), 7:10 p.m. Saturday (FSSO), 1:35 p.m. Sunday (FSSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 100.5
Probable starting pitchers:
Friday: Braves RH Brandon Beachy (0-0, 9.00 ERA) vs. RH Jacob Turner (3-3, 2.68)
Saturday: Braves LH Alex Wood (2-2, 3.20) vs. RH Nathan Eovaldi (2-2, 3.19)
Sunday: Braves LH Mike Minor (11-5, 2.76) vs. RH Henderson Alvarez (2-1, 2.80)
About the Braves:
Batting: Justin Upton is 22-for-50 (.440) during a 12-game hitting streak. He has nine extra-base hits in the past nine games, including five homers and 12 RBIs in the past seven. B.J. Upton is 10-for-21 (.476) with two doubles and three steals in five games since returning from the disabled list. Freddie Freeman is 16-for-38 (.421) with two homers and 11 RBIs in his past nine games. Dan Uggla is 5-for-50 during a 13-game homer drought.
Pitching: After giving up a career-high seven runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings vs. Colorado in his first game since Tommy John surgery, Beachy made significant progress Saturday at Philadelphia, giving up five hits and four runs (three earned) in 6 1/3 innings with two walks and four strikeouts. Against the Marlins, he's 2-0 with a 2.94 ERA and .215 opponents' average in five starts, with 11 walks and 40 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings. Four of those starts came in 2011 and the other in May 2012. Minor is 2-3 with a 4.19 ERA in 10 starts against the Marlins, and Wood hasn't faced them.
Miscellaneous: Since the All-Star break, the Braves led the majors in runs (105) before Thursday, and led the National League in homers (24) and slugging percentage (.422). Braves pitchers' 173 strikeouts since the break were the most in the majors before Thursday. The Braves are 30-10 in their past 40 home games, with a 2.70 ERA, 209 runs and 45 homers. Against the Marlins, the Braves are 31-11 with a 2.17 ERA in their past 42, but 2-3 in the past five, including home losses July 3-4.
About the Marlins:
Batting: Before Thursday's series finale vs. Pittsburgh, the Marlins had league lows in runs (53) and slugging percentage (.297) since the All-Star break, and ranked second-to-last in average (.227), OBP (.283) and homers (six). Logan Morrison was 10-for-21 (.476) with three doubles, a triple and five RBIs in his past five games before Thursday. Giancarlo Stanton was 16-for-71 (.225) with three homers, 15 walks, 22 strikeouts and a .356 OBP in his past 20 games.
Pitching: Turner is 1-2 with a 3.26 ERA in his past five starts, with zero run support in the losses. He allowed two runs apiece in four of his past five starts, including a July 10 win vs. the Braves when he gave up four hits and three walks in seven innings. He has pitched 6 1/3 or fewer innings in each start since. With runners on base, he has allowed a .190 average (22-for-116) and no homers. With runners in scoring position, it drops to .160 (10-for-60). Against the Braves, Turner is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA in two career starts; Eovaldi is 0-1 with a 3.68 ERA in four starts, and Alvarez is 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two starts.
Miscellaneous: The Marlins' 2.70 ERA was the second-lowest in the NL since the break before Thursday, behind Dodgers (2.38) and ahead of the Braves (3.00). The Braves will again avoid facing rookie ace Jose Fernandez, who was 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA in three starts since the break, with 35 strikeouts and three walks in 23 innings, before his start Thursday. Against Beachy, Stanton is 4-for-12, Morrison is 1-for-11, and Placido Polanco is 4-for-14.
