Series preview: vs. Red Sox
When (TV): 7:10 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday (SPSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 106.7
Probable starting pitchers
Wednesday: Braves RH Gavin Floyd (0-1, 2.49 ERA) vs. RH John Lackey (5-3, 3.58)
Thursday: Braves LH Mike Minor (2-3, 3.90) vs. RH Jake Peavy (1-2, 4.65)
About the Braves
Batting: Justin Upton was 13-for-31 (.419) with five doubles, four homers and 14 RBIs in his past nine games before Tuesday…. Jason Heyward was 17-for-51 (.333) with eight walks, a .433 OBP and one extra-base hit in his past 14 games before Tuesday, when he homered again to start the first inning. In three games at Fenway, he's 7-for-12 with three doubles and a homer…. Ryan Doumit is 11-for-36 (.306) with three doubles, three homers and 10 RBIs in 10 games at the venerable Boston ballpark. Ramiro Pena was 3-for-33 with 10 strikeouts in his past 14 games before Tuesday.
Pitching: Floyd is still looking for his first win as a Brave despite allowing one, three, one and two earned runs in his four starts and pitching 6 1/3 innings or more in three. He's never lost in nine starts against the Red Sox, going 7-0 with a 3.21 ERA, including 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA in four at Fenway Park…. Minor gave up seven runs (four earned) and three homers in 4 2/3 innings of a June 2012 loss at Fenway in his only start against the Red Sox.
Miscellaneous: Evan Gattis has as many homers (five) as singles on the road. He's 12-for-59 (.203) with a .254 OBP and .508 slugging percentage on the road, the second-highest road slugging percentage on the team behind Freddie Freeeman (.529). Gattis and Freeman have five road homers; no other Brave has more than three…. Justin Upton and B.J. Upton were tied for the major league strikeout lead with 60 before Tuesday…. Against Lackey, B.J. Upton is 6-for-29 with two homers and 11 strikeouts, Gerald Laird is 3-for-30 with 13 strikeouts, Ramiro Pena is 1-for-6 and Justin Upton is 0-for-3 with three walks.
About the Red Sox
Batting: David Ortiz was 22-for-73 (.301) with seven homers, 13 RBIs and a .388 OBP and .600 slugging percentage in his past 20 games before Tuesday, including a homer and four RBIs in Monday's 8-6 win against the Braves. Five of his nine hits in his past 11 games against the Braves were homers…. Jackie Bradley Jr. was 9-for-67 (.134) with a .203 OBP and 24 strikeouts in May before Tuesday, including 3-for-31 in his past 10 games.
Pitching: Lackey is 3-1 with a 2.61 ERA in his past six starts, with 36 strikeouts, seven walks and two homers allowed in 41 1/3 innings. The Red Sox scored one or no runs while he was in the game in his three non-wins in that period. Right-handed batters are 35-for-112 (.313) with a .347 OBP against Lackey, while lefties are 32-for-143 (.224) with a .258 OBP. Lackey hasn't faced the Braves since 2005…. Peavy is 3-4 with a 3.86 ERA in eight career starts against the Braves and racked up 62 strikeouts with 14 walks in 51 1/3 innings in those games.
Miscellaneous: Red Sox players have the two highest on-base percentages in the American League when leading off innings, Mike Napoli (.528 in 39 plate appearances) and Xander Bogaerts (.510 in 49 plate appearances). Napoli is on the disabled list…. Against Floyd, Ortiz is 8-for-25 with three home runs, Dustin Pedroia is 6-for-24, and Grady Sizemore is 5-for-22.
— David O’Brien
