When (TV): 7:35 p.m. Friday (WPCH), 4:10 p.m. Saturday (Fox), 1:35 p.m. Sunday (FSSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 100.5
Probable starting pitchers:
Friday: Braves RH Randall Delgado (major league debut) vs. RH Colby Lewis (5-7, 4.97)
Saturday: Braves RH Derek Lowe (3-5, 4.02) vs. LH Matt Harrison (5-6, 3.31)
Sunday: Braves RH Jair Jurrjens (8-3, 2.13) vs. RH Alexi Ogando (7-1, 2.71)
About the Braves:
Batting: The Braves' .239 average and .307 on-base percentage before Thursday were third-lowest in the National League in each category and included a .226 average (second-lowest) vs. lefties and league-worst .298 OBP vs. lefties. ... Alex Gonzalez was a team-high 20-for-61 (.328) vs. lefties, with three homers, 18 strikeouts and an .884 OPS, also a team best. Chipper Jones (.312) was the only other active Brave hitting above .273 against lefties.
Pitching: Delgado will be called from Double-A Mississippi to fill in for Tommy Hanson, who was scratched Thursday because of tendinitis in his pitching shoulder. Another of the Braves' top pitching prospects, Delgado was 4-4 with a 3.54 ERA in 13 starts for Mississippi, with 64 strikeouts and 26 walks in 73 2/3 innings. He allowed 69 hits including six homers.... The Braves led the majors with a 3.05 ERA before Thursday, ahead of Philadelphia (3.09). Braves relievers had a 2.53 ERA, second in the majors to San Diego's 2.49.
Miscellaneous: The Braves went 26-7 with a 3.26 ERA and 33 homers in first 33 home games in 2010 and were 17-15 despite a 3.07 ERA and 33 homers in their first 32 home games before Thursday. They hit .277 in their first 33 home games a year ago and .250 at home before Thursday. On the road, the Braves are a league-best 21-16. ... Eric Hinske is 2-for-5 with a homer against Lewis. Gonzalez (1-for-4) is the only other Brave who has faced him.
About the Rangers:
Batting: Former Braves shortstop prospect Elvis Andrus has hit .294 with two homers, 17 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in his past 35 games. ... Nelson Cruz is 2-for-29 with one homer and one RBI in his past eight games, after hitting .295 with seven homers and 15 RBIs in his previous 14 games. ... Michael Young is 11-for-59 (.186) with no extra-base hits in his past 14 games.
Pitching: Lewis is 0-2 with a 28.93 ERA in his past two starts, having allowed nine runs and four homers in 3 1/3 innings against Detroit and six runs, seven hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings at Minnesota on Saturday. Before that, he had five consecutive quality road starts. ... On Saturday, former Braves prospect Matt Harrison makes his first start against them since being traded in the Mark Teixeira deal.
Miscellaneous: The Rangers are 2-8 with a 6.85 ERA in their past 10 games and allowed 12 or more earned runs in three. They lost 3-2 in 12 innings Thursday at Yankee Stadium, after a pair of 12-4 losses to start the series. ... Yorvit Torrealba (1-for-4) is the only Rangers hitter who has faced Hanson. ... The Texas bullpen had the second-highest ERA (4.69) in the American League before Thursday.
