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Braves-Brewers Preview

Jul 25, 2009 - 5:37 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Atlanta (49-47) at Milwaukee (48-47), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Tommy Hanson didn't fare too well last month when he faced the Milwaukee Brewers in his major league debut. He's done much better since that outing.

The rookie looks to remain perfect while trying to help the surging Braves to a second straight victory over the struggling Brewers on Saturday night at Miller Park.

Hanson (5-0, 3.00 ERA) allowed six earned runs with six hits - including three homers - while striking out five in six innings and not factoring in the decision of an 8-7 home win over the Brewers on June 7.

Since then, the right-hander, who turns 23 next month, has a 2.14 ERA over his last seven starts. He gave up three runs and five hits while striking out a season-high 11 in seven innings of an 11-3 win over San Francisco on Monday.

"I think this is the best my arm's felt," Hanson said. "I always want to stay in the game."

Atlanta (50-47) hopes to give Hanson similar support in this outing after winning 9-4 in Friday's series opener. Chipper Jones, Martin Prado and Nate McLouth homered as the Braves won for the 11th time in 15 games.

Jones is 7 for 13 with three home runs and six RBIs in four contests versus Milwaukee this season.

Prado, who had four RBIs on Friday, is batting .389 with three home runs and 16 RBIs in his last 22 games for Atlanta, which is hitting .316 and averaging 6.3 runs while going 7-2 since the All-Star break.

"I don't think about (personal success), I'm thinking that we're a team, we're playing as a team," said Prado, who has a major league-leading 33 hits in July. "That's the most important thing right now. Somebody's going to step up."

The second baseman is 7 for 16 (.438) this year against Milwaukee (48-48), which hopes Yovani Gallardo can get back on track by continuing his success versus the Braves.

Gallardo (8-7, 3.28) takes the ball after allowing three runs and seven hits while striking out seven and walking four in six innings before leaving without a decision in a 5-3 loss at Cincinnati on Sunday.

The right-hander, who's 0-3 with a 5.09 ERA in four starts since beating San Francisco on June 26, is 1-0 with a 1.20 ERA in two outings versus the Braves. He gave up two hits in eight innings of a 4-0 win at Atlanta on June 5.

Prince Fielder went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts on Friday for the fourth-place Brewers, who are 6-13 in July after entering the month with a two-game lead in the NL Central.

"I didn't make any contact. I don't know what else to say," said Fielder, who last went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts on opening day in 2006 when he was a rookie.

Ryan Braun's two-run homer in the fifth inning Friday snapped a streak of 77 2-3 innings by Braves pitchers without allowing a home run. Braun, who's 7 for 18 (.389) with three homers and eight RBIs in his last four games, homered twice off Hanson last month.