Series preview: Braves at Diamondbacks
When (TV): 9:40 p.m. Monday-Tuesday, 3:40 p.m. Wednesday (SPSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 100.5
Probable starting pitchers:
Monday: Braves LH Mike Minor (4-2, 2.96 ERA) vs. LH Wade Miley (3-1, 2.93)
Tuesday: Braves RH Julio Teheran (2-0, 4.84) vs. LH Patrick Corbin (5-0, 1.75)
Wednesday: Braves RH Tim Hudson (4-2, 4.70) vs. RH Ian Kennedy (1-3, 4.83)
About the Braves:
Batting: Ex-Diamondbacks star Justin Upton has a .307 career average, .389 OBP and 67 homers in 364 games (1,297 at-bats) at Chase Field, with 76 doubles, 18 triples, 219 RBIs, and a .548 slugging percentage…. Chris Johnson, who came from Arizona in the same trade with Upton, is 0-for-17 with two walks and eight strikeouts in six May games after a torrid April. He fouled a ball off his knee Saturday and was sore Sunday, but wasn't expected to miss more than a day or two.
Pitching: Minor bounced back from his only bad start (six runs, 6-2/3 innings at Detroit) to go 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA and .146 opponents' average in his past two. He won his only career start against the Diamondbacks, allowing five hits, two runs (one earned) and no walks with nine strikeouts on April 19, 2012, also against Miley…. Tim Hudson is 7-0 with a 1.33 ERA in nine starts vs. the Dbacks, including 4-0 with a 0.94 ERA in five at Chase Field…. Teheran gave up six hits and two runs in four innings (no decision) in one start vs. Arizona.
Miscellaneous: Freddie Freeman is 20-for-45 (.444) with six doubles, three homers and 13 RBIs in 12 games against Arizona, including 11-for-23 (.478) with four doubles, two homers and nine RBIs in six games at Chase Field…. The Braves are 8-2 with a 2.12 ERA in their past 10 games against the Dbacks, including 3-1 at Phoenix (an April 19-22 series last season)…. Before Sunday, the Braves were 9-14 with a 4.68 ERA in their past 23 games, after starting out 12-1 with a 1.83 ERA…. Against the lefty Miley, Dan Uggla is 2-for-3 with a homer, and Freeman is 1-for-3 with a homer.
About the Diamondbacks:
Batting: Former Brave Martin Prado had a .230 average with four homers, nine RBIs and a .280 OBP in 36 games for Arizona before Sunday, and was 2-for-32 (.063) with runners in scoring position…. Paul Goldschmidt was 12-for-33 (.364) with four homers and 12 RBIs in 10 May games before Sunday, with seven walks and a .452 OBP…. Jason Kubel was 1-for-15 with two walks and six strikeouts in his past six games.
Pitching: Miley has allowed two runs or fewer in five of seven starts this season, and worked at least six innings in four of those five. He's 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA in two home starts. Against the Braves, the lefty is 0-1 with a 12.71 ERA in two games (one start). Miley allowed five runs and seven hits in four innings of a 2011 start in Atlanta, and allowed five hits and three runs in 1-2/3 innings in a relief appearance last season in Phoenix…. Corbin pitched three scoreless relief innings (one hit) in his only appearance vs. Atlanta, and Kennedy is 1-0 with a 2.66 ERA in three starts against the Braves.
Miscellaneous: The Diamondbacks were 5-1 with a 2.17 ERA in their past six games before Sunday, which included a sweep at Dodger Stadium…. Cody Ross is 4-for-6 with two homers against Minor… Eric Chavez is 12-for-32 (.375) with five homers and nine RBIs in 11 games vs. the Braves, and Gerardo Parra is 24-for-71 (.338) with two doubles, two triples and two homers in 13 games against them.
