Series preview: Braves at Rockies

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Probable starting pitchers

• Thursday: Braves RH Tommy Hanson (4-0, 2.25 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Aaron Cook (8-3, 3.76 ERA).

• Friday: Braves RH Derek Lowe (7-7, 4.56) vs. Rockies RH Ubaldo Jimenez (6-8, 3.86).

• Saturday: Braves RH Jair Jurrjens (6-7, 2.91) vs. Rockies RH Jason Marquis (11-5, 3.61).

• Sunday: Braves RH Javier Vazquez (6-7, 2.95) vs. Rockies RH Jason Hammel (5-4, 4.07).

Who's hot

• Braves CF Nate McLouth has hit .350 with six extra-base hits during a nine-game hitting streak, his longest since a 19-game streak at the start of the 2008 season. He is 11-for-28 (.393) with two homers and four RBIs in five games since returning from a strained hamstring.

• Rockies 1B Todd Helton hit .342 with 13 extra-base hits and 14 RBI in his past 21 games, including .380 in his past 13 home games.

Thursday's matchup

• Hanson is 4-0 with a 0.90 ERA and .196 opponents' average in his past five starts. He had a 26-inning scoreless streak snapped by Adam Dunn's homer Saturday at Washington.

• Hanson has allowed 12 hits, one run and 12 walks with 13 strikeouts in 24-1/3 innings over his past four starts, including four hits or fewer in each game.

• Cook is 5-0 with a 1.98 ERA in his past six starts. He's 1-0 with a 2.05 ERA in three starts against the Braves during the past two seasons, including a four-hit shutout on May 21 in Atlanta.

Notable

• The Rockies are 25-7 since June 4, and completed a sweep against Washington on Wednesday to improve to 12-5 at home during that period.

• Braves LF Garret Anderson has hit .500 (15-for-30) with four homers and 11 RBIs in seven games at Coors Field.

• Rockies OF Ryan Spilborghs has a .393 average with three homers, 10 RBIs and a .500 on-base percentage in 13 games against the Braves.