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Astros-Braves Preview

Apr 30, 2010 - 5:49 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Houston (8-13) at Atlanta (8-14), 7:35 p.m. EDT

It's been hard enough for Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox to observe his team playing so poorly. Now, he's watching his players get hurt.

Coming off their worst trip of seven or more games in 61 years, the Braves look to avoid their first 10-game slide in four seasons Friday when they face the slumping Houston Astros.

Atlanta (8-14) returns to Turner Field following an 0-7 trip that ended with Thursday's 10-4 loss to St. Louis.

It is the Braves' longest winless trip of at least this length since the team was based in Boston and dropped eight in a row in September 1949.

"It was a lousy trip. It's been a horrible experience to endure," said Cox, whose team's last 10-game skid was June 11-22, 2006.

In addition to the grind of losing, the Braves lost starter Jair Jurrjens to a strained left hamstring after one inning Thursday, and shortstop Yunel Escobar left the game with a strained left groin muscle. Escobar said through a translator that he could be out for a few games.

"Every good team I've ever been on, every good team goes through this," Eric Hinske told the Braves' official website. "Maybe it's a good thing we're going through this in April rather than September."

It also might be a good thing for Atlanta that Tommy Hanson (1-2, 2.14 ERA) is getting the ball.

The 23-year-old right-hander has the lowest ERA among Braves starters and is looking to build off a solid outing. Hanson had a season-high eight strikeouts and allowed one run in five innings of a rain-shortened, 1-0 loss to the New York Mets on Sunday.

"I'm happy with the way I threw the ball, but I'm not happy with us losing the game," he said after the six-inning defeat.

Hanson took another hard-luck loss in his only career appearance against the Astros, a 2-1 defeat in Houston on Sept. 9. After pitching eight innings of five-hit ball, Hanson was denied the victory after Miguel Tejada delivered a game-winning, two-run single in the ninth off reliever Rafael Soriano.

While Hanson tries to help Atlanta win its first game in 10 days, the Astros (8-13) are looking to get back on track after losing three straight at home to Cincinnati.

Wandy Rodriguez was scheduled to start Friday, but the left-hander is suffering from back spasms and will be replaced by Brett Myers (1-1, 3.81 ERA), who moves up a day in the rotation.

Myers won his last start in Atlanta on Aug. 6, 2007, but he is 0-3 with a 4.71 ERA in his last six starts against the Braves - all with Philadelphia.

Despite allowing 11 hits - all singles - the veteran right-hander won his first game with the Astros in his last start, Sunday's 10-3 victory over Pittsburgh. Myers was removed from the game after giving up two runs in six innings.

"I wanted to stay in there, but it was probably a good time to get me a break there and not let me throw 100 pitches every time I go out there, and be fresh for the next one," Myers said after his season-low 91-pitch outing.

Since his batting average dipped to .108 on April 16, Astros right-fielder Hunter Pence is batting .333 to raise his average to .228. He has the same average in 15 career games against the Braves.

Rookie right-fielder Jason Heyward hit his team-leading fifth homer Thursday - Atlanta's first home run in nine games.

The Braves are batting .223 and averaging 1.9 runs during their skid.