Series preview: Braves at Phillies
When (TV): 7:05 p.m. Friday (FSSO), 7:15 p.m. Saturday (Fox), 1:35 p.m. Sunday (FSSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 100.5
Probable starting pitchers:
Friday: Braves RH Tim Hudson (4-7, 4.22 ERA) vs. LH Cliff Lee (9-2, 2.59)
Saturday: Braves LH Paul Maholm (9-6, 3.69) vs. RH Kyle Kendrick (7-6, 3.59)
Sunday: Braves RH Kris Medlen (6-7, 3.11) vs. RH Jonathan Pettibone (4-3, 3.99)
About the Braves:
Batting: Chris Johnson hit .355 with 14 extra-base hits in his past 39 games before Thursday, including 17-for-41 (.415) with two homers and nine RBIs in his past 12. Freddie Freeman hit .333 with 18 extra-base hits (seven homers) and 35 RBIs in his past 45 games and was 10-for-25 with two homers during a seven-game hitting streak before Thursday. Brian McCann had six homers and 18 RBIs in 12 games against the Phillies in 2012 and was on the DL when the teams met in April. He has 11 homers and 47 RBIs in 63 games at Citizens Bank Park.
Pitching: Hudson is 0-6 with a 4.50 ERA in his past 10 starts, the longest winless drought of his career. He was 0-3 with a 2.45 ERA in six June starts, as the Braves averaged 1.56 runs per nine innings he pitched, including none while he was in three games. He won his first road start and is 0-7 with a 6.40 ERA in eight since. Against the Phillies, he's 10-9 with a 3.81 ERA in 28 starts and 3-3 with a 3.83 ERA in nine at Citizens Bank Park. Maholm is 5-2 with a 4.66 ERA in 10 starts against the Phillies, and Medlen is 1-1 with a 5.02 ERA in 14 games (three starts) against them.
Miscellaneous: The Braves are 13-5 with a 3.19 ERA in 18 games against the Phillies since July 6, 2012. The Braves won two of three in a season-opening series in Atlanta, and the teams haven't met since. Against Cliff Lee, Reed Johnson is 7-for-19 with a homer, McCann is 6-for-21, Freeman is 6-for-22, Dan Uggla is 5-for-25 with a homer and 11 strikeouts and Chris Johnson is 1-for-11 with a homer.
About the Phillies:
Batting: Before Thursday's series finale at Pittsburgh, Chase Utley was 15-for-50 (.300) with four doubles and four homers in 15 games since coming off the DL. Ben Revere was 30-for-77 (.390) with six steals in his past 20 games. Ryan Howard was 2-for-23 (.087) with one walk and 11 strikeouts on the trip before Thursday, but is 11-for-25 (.440) with seven extra-base hits (three HRs) and nine RBIs in his past eight home games. Domonic Brown has 12 homers and 28 RBIs in 36 home games.
Pitching: Lee is 7-0 with a 2.15 ERA in his past 11 starts, with 81 strikeouts and 14 walks in 83 2/3 innings. The lefty is 4-1 with a stingy 0.78 ERA in his past six starts against the Braves, with 45 strikeouts and only three walks in 46 innings. He allowed one or no runs in five of those six and had 19 strikeouts with no walks and one run allowed in 16 innings over the past two. Kendrick is 7-1 with a 2.86 ERA in 19 games (13 starts) vs. the Braves, and Pettibone hasn't faced them.
Miscellaneous: The Phillies were 7-10 with a 4.33 ERA in their past 17 games before Thursday, but are 7-3 in their past 10 home games, with 13 homers and 49 runs. Against Hudson, Howard is 22-for-67 (.328) with seven homers and 12 walks, Utley is 15-for-65 (.231) with two homers, Jimmy Rollins is 18-for-81 (.222) with three homers and Carlos Ruiz is 8-for-36 with two homers.
