Series preview: vs. Giants
When (TV): 7:35 p.m. Friday (FSSO), 4:05 p.m. Saturday (FSSO), 8:05 p.m. Sunday (ESPN)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 100.5
Probable starting pitchers:
Friday: Braves RH Kris Medlen (3-6, 2.87 ERA) vs. LH Madison Bumgarner (5-4, 3.58)
Saturday: Braves LH Mike Minor (8-2, 2.44) vs. RH Chad Gaudin (2-1, 2.32)
Sunday: Braves RH Julio Teheran (4-3, 3.62) vs. RH Tim Lincecum (4-6, 4.70)
About the Braves:
Batting: Jason Heyward is on a season-high 10-game hitting streak, batting .395 (17-for-43) with three doubles, three home runs, four RBIs and eight runs scored in that span. Dan Uggla went 7-for-23 (.304) with three home runs and six RBIs on the seven-game West Coast swing. Evan Gattis has four home runs in his first eight pinch-hit appearances, something no Brave has done since 1900, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Justin Upton snapped a streak of 87 at-bats without a home run Wednesday with a tape-measure shot.
Pitching: Medlen is coming off the game of his life, pitching 6 2/3 shutout innings against his favorite childhood team (the Dodgers on Saturday) and hit his first career home run in front of family and friends for the game-winner in a 2-1 victory. Medlen has allowed one unearned run in 13 2/3 innings in his past two starts since pitching only two innings May 29 against Toronto after taking a line drive off his calf. After giving up two or fewer earned runs in nine consecutive starts, the longest such Braves streak since 2001, Braves starters have allowed 12 earned runs in 19 innings and took all three losses in a three-game sweep by the Padres.
Miscellaneous: The Braves are coming off a 2-5 trip to Los Angeles and San Diego, making them 3-8 in California this season. The Braves have won 10 of their past 15 games against the Giants at Turner Field. The Braves are 21-7 at Turner Field this season for the best home winning percentage in the majors (.750).
About the Giants:
Batting: Marco Scutaro, who ranks fourth in the National League with a .332 batting average, is trying to play through an injured left pinkie, but the Giants haven't projected when he'll return to the lineup. He was hit by a pitch Tuesday night. Hunter Pence had three multihit games in four games entering Thursday, including two doubles on a 2-for-4 Wednesday night vs. the Pirates. The Giants had lost 12 of their past 16 road games entering Thursday in Pittsburgh.
Pitching: Giants starters rank 13th of 15 NL teams in ERA at 4.87, while Braves are third at 3.40. Bumgarner struck out 11 in a May 11 start against the Braves in San Francisco, allowing only one earned run in seven innings. But he is 1-3 with a 6.14 ERA since then. Ryan Vogelsong is on the disabled list with a broken pitching hand.
Miscellaneous: Third baseman Pablo Sandoval went on the disabled list earlier this week with an injured left foot and outfielder Angel Pagan (left hamstring) is not ready to return despite being eligible to come off the DL. The Giants won three of four against the Braves on May 9-12 at AT&T Park. Scutaro was 8-for-17 (.471) with two doubles and a triple in that series.
