Series preview: Braves at Diamondbacks
When (TV): 9:40 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday (SPSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 100.5
Probable starting pitchers:
Wednesday: Braves RH Julio Teheran (0-1, 5.79 ERA) vs. LH Joe Saunders (0-5, 5.78)
Thursday: Braves RH Jair Jurrjens (5-0, 1.66) vs. RH Josh Collmenter (2-0, 0.90)
About the Braves:
• Batting: Eric Hinske, batting .405 (15-for-37) with three homers and eight RBIs in 15 May games, has a .440 career average (22-for-50) in 16 games vs. the Diamondbacks, with three homers and 12 RBIs. He went 9-for-24 (.375) with a homer and five RBIs in seven games against them in 2010. ... Martin Prado is 26-for-70 (.371) with four homers and 15 RBIs in 16 May games. ... Jason Heyward is 3-for-32 with no RBIs in May.
• Pitching: Teheran will make his second major league start, after allowing four hits, three earned runs and two walks with one strikeout in 4-2/3 innings of a May 7 debut loss at Philadelphia. The 20-year-old No. 1 prospect is 3-0 with a 1.91 ERA in six starts at Triple-A Gwinnett, with 32 strikeouts and 12 walks in 37 2/3 innings. ... Jurrjens has the second-lowest ERA among NL starters. Against the Diamondbacks, he's 2-0 in three starts despite a 6.32 ERA. He's 2-0 with a 6.55 ERA in two at Arizona (15 hits, eight earned runs in 11 innings.
• Miscellaneous: The Braves are 17-7 with a 2.58 ERA since April 22 and have allowed three runs or fewer in 16 of those 24 games. They are a league-best 12-4 with a 2.49 ERA in May, with 18 homers in 16 games…. The D-backs won't face Tim Hudson, who's 4-0 with a 0.94 ERA in five starts at Arizona. ... Since allowing a run in his second appearance this season, Jonny Venters has allowed one run and eight hits in 22 1/3 innings over his past 22 games. He's 3-0 with a 0.40 ERA and .112 opponents' average in that span, with 24 strikeouts and six walks.
About the Diamondbacks:
• Batting: They had 29 homers in 20 home games before Tuesday, compared with 16 homers in 20 road games. Only the Reds (32) had more homers at home. Arizona averaged over five runs per game at home, and barely three on the road. ... The Diamondbacks would like to trade ex-Braves second baseman Kelly Johnson. His .184 average is second-lowest among NL regulars, including .194 vs. righties with 39 strikeouts in 108 at-bats. Ex-Braves backup catcher Henry Blanco is 6-for-13 (.462) with four homers and five RBIs in four May games. Blanco is 6-for-15 this season vs. lefties, 0-for-8 vs. righties.
• Pitching: Saunders is winless with a .301 opponents' average in eight starts this season and 2-12 with a 5.11 ERA in 19 starts since early August. The only three Braves players who've faced him are Hinske (1-for-2), Alex Gonzalez (3-for-9) and Chipper Jones (0-for-3). ... Collmenter will make just his second career start and ninth appearance. He hasn't faced the Braves. He has held opponents' to a .149 average and one homer in 20 innings. ... Before Tuesday's finale against San Diego, Arizona had a league-worst 4.96 ERA at home and a 3.19 ERA on the road, third-lowest road ERA in the National League behind the Braves (2.76) and Phillies (2.95).
• Miscellaneous: The Diamondbacks were 9-15 with a .214 batting average in their past 25 games before Tuesday, including 2-6 despite a 2.81 ERA in their past eight. They scored 20 runs in that eight-game stretch, including seven road games. ... Kelly Johnson has a .367 career average against the Braves with four doubles, two homer and eight RBIs in seven games. ... The Diamondbacks had 27 homers allowed in 20 home games, more than any NL team except Cincinnati (29). They've allowed only 16 homers in 20 road games.
