The week ahead: The Braves open a nine-game homestand home with a four-game series with the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers. The hard-hitting Colorado Rockies, batting an amazing .298, visit for a weekend series. The Braves took two of three from the Brewers in the season-opening series in Milwaukee.
Best pitching matchup: Atlanta's Mike Minor vs. Milwaukee's Wily Peralta. Call it an assessment game on Monday night. The Braves are still assessing how Minor has progressed since missing the first month with a sore shoulder. He lost his first start to the Giants because he gave up two homers while the Braves could only score once. Then he was blasted for 11 hits and six runs vs. the Cardinals May 7. But last Tuesday in San Francisco, Minor was dominant, retiring 16 in a row at one point while allowing just three hits in seven innings while striking out six. The Brewers are assessing if Peralta's improving numbers mean the converted outfielder has finally learned to pitch. In the first 15 starts last season, he went 4-8 with a 6.08 ERA. Since then, he is 11-9 with a 2.71 ERA.
Who's hot: Brewers CF Carlos Gomez was hitting .348 (8-for-23) over his last seven games. … Milwaukee's bullpen features three pitchers — Tyler Thornberg, Will Smith and Francisco Rodriguez — with sub-.200 opponents' average against. … Colorado SS Troy Tulowitzki has been the NL's most effective force, entering the weekend leading the league in batting (.391), runs scored (37), on-base percentage (.497), slugging (.750) and tied for the home run lead (11).
Who's not: Brewers OF Kris Davis went into the weekend on a 5-for-28 slide heading into the weekend. … Milwaukee 1B Lyle Overbay just concluded a 3-for-17 homestand. A career .267 hitter, is average is down to .222. … Rockies 1B Carlos Gonzalez, who had a 10-game hit streak snapped on May 9, was in a 6-for-27 slide entering the weekend. He is hitting .202 on the road. … The Rockies are 2-13 at Turner Field dating to 2010.
Notes: The Brewers seized first place in the NL Central on April 9 and have not given it up. … Milwaukee has lost four series this season, three of them at home: vs. Atlanta in the season opener, St. Louis and Arizona. … The Rockies are hitting .313 with runners in scoring position, the only team in the majors over .300. The team also has the second-fewest strikeouts in the NL. … Rockies' Sunday starter Jhoulys Chacin will be making his fourth start of the season after spending the first month on the DL with a right shoulder sprain. … Even with slugger Ryan Braun missing two weeks with a strained right oblique, the Brewers have the third-most homers (42) in the NL.
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