Series preview: vs. Padres
When (TV): 7:35 p.m. Friday (FSSO), 7:10 p.m. Saturday (FSSO), 5:05 p.m. Sunday (FSSO), 12:10 p.m. Monday (SPSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 106.7
Probable starting pitchers:
Friday: Braves LH Alex Wood (7-7, 3.24) vs. RH Jesse Hahn (5-2, 2.21)
Saturday: Braves RH Julio Teheran (9-6, 2.64 ERA) vs. RH Odrisamer Despaigne (2-1, 1.31 ERA)
Sunday: Braves LH Mike Minor (3-6, 5.32) vs. LH Eric Stults (3-12, 5.00)
Monday: Braves RH Ervin Santana (9-6, 3.87) vs. RH Ian Kennedy (8-9, 3.66)
About the Braves
Batting: Going into Thursday night, Tommy La Stella was 9-for-28 (.321) with four doubles in seven games since his three-hit game to close the series at Wrigley Field before the All-Star break. Through Wednesday, he was hitting .288 overall, second among all NL rookies to Arizona's David Peralta (.325). Freddie Freeman homered in the second inning Wednesday night to snap a career-long homerless drought of 83 at-bats (since June 27), according to Elias. Justin Upton, the former Diamondback, is hitting .329 with 18 home runs in 86 games against the Padres. The only team he's homered more against is the Rockies (20).
Pitching: Wood rebounded from a loss at Wrigley Field on July 11, when he allowed four earned runs in 5 1/3 innings, by holding the Phillies to one run in six innings of an 8-2 win his last time out. Wood gave up only three hits, walked none and struck out eight. He is 3-2 with a 2.87 ERA, eight walks and 27 strikeouts in five starts since replacing the injured Gavin Floyd (fractured elbow) in the rotation.
Miscellaneous: The Braves are inviting fans to come early for Sunday's game to watch the Hall of Fame induction ceremony on the video board at Turner Field starting at 1:30 p.m., when Bobby Cox, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine will be inducted in Cooperstown, N.Y. Gates open at 1 p.m.
About the Padres
Batting: Former Brave and Parkview High standout Jeff Francoeur returns to Atlanta with the Padres, having just been called up from Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday. He went 1-for-3 that night in his first major league game since last Aug. 13 with the Giants. Third baseman Chase Headley was just traded to the Yankees Tuesday, taking his team-leading 32 RBIs with him. Seth Smith leads the Padres in the other major offensive categories, including batting average (.286), on-base percentage (.386), hits (79) and home runs (11).
Pitching: Hahn is expected to be called up from Triple-A to make his first start for the Padres since July 11 in L.A. The former Virginia Tech Hokie pitched six innings against the Dodgers, allowing only one run on three hits, four walks and six strikeouts. Since giving up four runs in 3 2/3 innings to the Pirates in his major league debut, Hahn is 5-1 with a 1.46 ERA and a .163 opponents' batting average.
Miscellaneous: Center fielder Cameron Maybin, from Asheville, N.C., was suspended 25 games for testing positive for amphetamine, which was reportedly related to issues he has with Attention Deficit Disorder. That opened the roster spot for Francoeur.
Carroll Rogers