Series preview: at Marlins
When (TV): 7:10 p.m. Monday (SPSO), 7:10 p.m. Tuesday (SPSO), 7:10 p.m. Wednesday (SPSO), 12:40 p.m. Thursday (SPSO).
Radio: 680, 93.7, 100.5
Probable starting pitchers:
Monday: Braves RH Kris Medlen (12-12, 3.48 ERA) vs. RH Henderson Alvarez (3-3, 3.95)
Tuesday: Braves RH Julio Teheran (11-7, 3.01) vs. RH Tom Koehler (3-9, 4.70)
Wednesday: Braves LH Mike Minor (13-6, 3.06) vs. RH Jose Fernandez (11-6, 2.23)
Thursday: Braves LH Alex Wood (3-3, 3.45) vs. LH Nathan Eovaldi (3-6, 3.80)
About the Braves:
Batting: Andrelton Simmons and Evan Gattis hits two homers apiece in the Braves' losing series sweep in Philadelphia but the Braves managed only one other extra-base hit while batting .135. B.J. Upton and Dan Uggla combined to go 0-for-18 in Philadelphia with 10 strikeouts and two walks. Jordan Schafer is expected to start a game or two in a series against four right-handers in Miami.
Pitching: Medlen is trying to get his won-loss record over .500 for the first time this season. He has gone 6-2 with a 2.76 ERA and a .247 opponents' average in his past eight games (seven starts) going back through July 28 in St. Louis. One of those losses came in three innings of relief in a 15-inning game against the Nationals. Medlen is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts against the Marlins this season and 4-1 with a 2.64 ERA in 17 games (seven starts) overall.
Miscellaneous: The Braves are 0-3 on this trip and 34-37 on the road this season, compared to a majors' best 51-20 home record. But the Braves are 5-1 at Marlins Park this year and 10-5 against the Marlins overall.
About the Marlins:
Batting: The Marlins are hoping Giancarlo Stanton can return for the start of the series after sitting out Sunday's game against the Nationals with an ankle injury he suffered stepping on first base Sept. 1 in Atlanta. Justin Ruggiano, who hit cleanup in his Stanton's place Sunday, has hit safely in nine of his past 11 games and had three of the Marlins' six hits in Sunday's loss to the Nationals.
Pitching: Alvarez allowed only three earned runs in six innings in his last start against the Cubs on Monday. He also hit his first major league home run, before coming out of the game with a tight right hamstring. It was his first quality start since Aug. 6 in Pittsburgh, which started a streak of five Marlins losses in his starts. On Wednesday, Fernandez is scheduled to make his final start of the season before reaching a 170 innings limit, which would have him only going about five innings.
Miscellaneous: The Marlins have lost three of four after winning three in a row, starting with a 7-0 win over Alex Wood and the Braves on Sept. 1.
Carroll Rogers
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