Braves' opponent: Cincinnati Reds
Keep an eye on: Joey Votto. He's tied for the National League lead in home runs with seven but he is just 2-for-his-past-20 over the past six games. The Reds have three of the top 10 home run hitters in the National League, led by Votto (seven), along with Todd Frazier (six) and Jay Bruce (5). Of their 24 home runs overall (eighth in the majors) the Reds have hit 14 of them at hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark.
Who's hot: Stone Mountain's Brandon Phillies is hitting .305 (18-for-59) over his past 14 games, with a double, a home run and nine RBIs.
Who's not: The Reds bullpen is last in the National League with a 5.54 ERA.
Braves connection: Jason Marquis, 36, won a job in the Reds rotation after signing a minor league deal with them in January. He spent last season in the Phillies organization but hadn't pitched in the majors since 2013 with the Padres. He's 2-1 with a 5.48 ERA for the Reds heading into his start Saturday night against the Braves. Marquis is 4-5 with a 6.95 ERA in 10 career starts against the team that drafted him in the first round in 1996.
In the news: Reds manager Bryan Price made national news with his profanity-laced tirade at a Reds reporter over news revealed about the in-game availability of All-Star catcher Devin Mesoraco. The blow-up was just a symptom of early issues for Price and the Reds, who've dealt with a weak bullpen and an elbow injury to Homer Bailey. Mesoraco is still dealing with a hip problem and has been pinch hitting only for the past two weeks.
- Carroll Rogers
