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Padres-Braves Preview

Aug 24, 2009 - 8:42 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

San Diego (52-74) at Atlanta (66-58), 7:10 p.m. EDT

An upcoming pivotal road trip could determine if the Atlanta Braves have a realistic chance to claim their first division crown since 2005.

Atlanta, though, first has to focus on a team well out of playoff contention.

The Braves go for their ninth consecutive series win against the San Diego Padres as the teams open a three-game set at Turner Field on Tuesday night.

Atlanta (66-58), which has won 13 of 18, begins a three-game series at NL East-leading Philadelphia on Friday before visiting Florida for four games.

The Braves moved a game ahead of Florida for second place in the division by taking two of three from the Marlins at Turner Field over the weekend. All-Star catcher Brian McCann went 3 for 4 with a homer and a career high-tying five RBIs in Sunday's 7-5 victory.

McCann has four homers and 11 RBIs in his last seven games for Atlanta, which has won five of its last six series. Atlanta is third in the wild-card race behind Colorado and San Francisco.

"We don't really get down," said outfielder Matt Diaz, batting .481 with three homers and eight RBIs in his last eight games. "We have a mentally tough team. We have a lot more confidence this year than we have in the past."

Jair Jurrjens (10-8, 2.99 ERA) has reason to be confident going into his start Tuesday, facing a Padres club held to eight runs in its last five games while batting .160. The right-hander won his only career start versus San Diego, allowing one run and striking out eight in six innings of a 5-3 victory May 6, 2008.

Jurrjens is looking to build off his first win in five starts, a 15-2 victory over the New York Mets on Wednesday when he allowed two runs and eight hits over six innings.

Atlanta is averaging 5.6 runs in Jurrjens' last 18 starts.

The Padres (52-74) open their six-game trip in search of their first series win over the Braves since taking two of three at Turner Field from Aug. 19-21, 2005.

San Diego has lost 19 of 25 to Atlanta since the beginning of the 2006 season.

The Padres, who have lost eight of 11 overall, look to rookie Mat Latos (4-3, 4.82) to get them back on track.

The right-hander, though, has lost two straight starts after winning his previous four.

The 21-year-old Latos is trying to bounce back from his shortest outing of the season - 3 2-3 innings in Wednesday's 7-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs. He yielded five runs, seven hits and a season-high four walks.

"You look at his fastball, it still had life to hit," manager Bud Black told the Padres' official Web site. "His breaking ball was OK, the changeup he left up in the zone. He wasn't consistently making pitches with his fastball. Every inning he had to work awfully hard.

"The last two games have been a great learning experience for him."

Outfielders Garret Anderson and Ryan Church could return to the Braves' lineup Tuesday after both missed Sunday's game with sore backs.

Atlanta second baseman Martin Prado has missed the last five games with exertional headaches. He was scheduled to meet with a neurologist Monday.