Series preview: vs. Phillies
When (TV): 7:10 p.m. Thursday (SPSO), 7:35 p.m. Friday (FSSO), 7:10 p.m. Saturday (FSSO), 1:35 p.m. Sunday (FSSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 100.5
Probable starting pitchers:
Thursday: Braves RH David Hale (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RH Tyler Cloyd (2-6, 5.40)
Friday: Braves RH Kris Medlen (14-12, 3.24) vs. LH Cliff Lee (14-7, 2.93)
Saturday: Braves LH Mike Minor (13-8, 3.22) vs. TBA
Sunday: Braves RH Julio Teheran (13-8, 3.09) vs. RH Zach Miner (0 -1, 3.08)
About the Braves:
Batting: Andrelton Simmons homered twice in Sunday's division-clinching win over the Cubs and drove in the winning run Tuesday in a walk-off win over Milwaukee. He was 5-for-19 with four extra-base hits and six RBIs in his past five games entering Wednesday. Entering Wednesday, Freddie Freeman had driven in six runs in his previous four games to give him 106 RBIs on the season, the most by a Brave since Andruw Jones' 129 in 2006 and the most by a Braves' first baseman since Andres Galarraga's 121 in 1998.
Pitching: Hale makes his second major league start in spot duty. He was impressive in his debut, Sept. 13 against the Padres, opening eyes with nine strikeouts and only one walk in five shutout innings. Hale, a Marietta native, went 6-9 with a 3.22 ERA in 22 games (20 starts) at Triple-A Gwinnett. He's making only his third start in the past 24 days, including Sept. 2 in Gwinnett's season finale, giving up four runs (three earned) in six innings of a loss.
Miscellaneous: The Braves are 8-7 against the Phillies this season, but were swept in three games in their previous series, in Philadelphia on Sept. 6-8. The Braves scored only eight runs while batting .135, but faced both Lee and Cole Hamels.
About the Phillies:
Batting: This Phillies averaged only 2.7 runs per game while losing five of their previous six games entering Wednesday. Redan High graduate Domonic Brown returned to the Phillies' lineup Sept. 15 from an Achilles injury. He has hit .267 (8-for-30) with three doubles since then. Chase Utley is hitting .310 (18-for-58) against the Braves this season, with five doubles, one triple, two home runs and nine RBIs.
Pitching: The Phillies have lost each of Cloyd's past six starts and are 2-8 with him on the mound this season in his four major league stints. Cloyd, a September call-up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, has given up five or more earned runs in four of his past five starts, while going 0-4 with an 8.25 ERA. This is his first appearance against the Braves. Lee gave up only one run (a Simmons homer) in eight innings of a 2-1 win over the Braves on Sept. 6, striking out 10, to outduel Minor.
Miscellaneous: The Phillies named Ryne Sandberg their permanent manager Sunday, removing his "interim" status with a three-year contract through 2016. He was 19-18 as Phillies manager entering Wednesday.
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