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Diamondbacks-Braves Preview

May 15, 2010 - 5:32 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Arizona (14-21) at Atlanta (16-18), 7:10 p.m. EDT

After finding some much-needed offense at the end of a road trip, the Atlanta Braves' hitters seemed to gain even more confidence upon their return home.

With Tommy Hanson on the mound Saturday night, the Braves may not need to light up the scoreboard to win.

Hanson looks for his third straight victory and tries to help Atlanta extend its five-game win streak as it continues its series against the foundering Arizona Diamondbacks, losers of seven in a row.

After scoring 16 runs in their season opener against Chicago, the Braves averaged 3.5 over their next 30 games. They totaled 19 runs while dropping four of the first six on a nine-game road trip.

Their fortunes changed earlier this week in Milwaukee, where they totaled 28 runs and batted .307 during a three-game sweep of the Brewers. Atlanta returned home and rallied for a 6-5 win Friday night in the opener of this series, scoring all of its runs in the final three innings.

Martin Prado hit a two-run single in the ninth after homers from Brian McCann and Nate McLouth helped the Braves recover from an early 4-0 deficit. Atlanta (17-18) had at least 12 hits for the third straight game.

"The way we won, this was big," said McCann, whose homer was his third of the season and first since April 11. "It just shows that we can come back from four or five runs down and win games."

Coming off perhaps his best performance of the season, Hanson (3-2, 2.30 ERA) will try to help his team reach the .500 mark for the first time since it was 8-8 on April 23. He allowed four hits and struck out eight over eight shutout innings of an 8-2 victory in Milwaukee on Monday.

Hanson posted a 2.14 ERA in his first four outings of 2010, but had a 1-2 record to show for it after getting six total runs of support - all in a win in San Diego on April 14.

Hanson defeated the Diamondbacks last Aug. 17 at home, giving up two runs over six innings of a 9-4 victory.

While the Atlanta offense seems to be finding its form, the same cannot be said for Arizona.

The Diamondbacks (14-22) have batted .204 and been outscored 58-20 during their seven straight losses. Arizona's bullpen has a 12.94 ERA over the last six contests and recorded its ninth blown save in 16 chances Friday.

"I'm at a loss for words," manager A.J. Hinch said.

Hinch will give the ball to Rodrigo Lopez (1-2, 4.30) on Saturday. The right-hander walked a season-high five and allowed four runs over seven innings of a 7-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday.

Making his first start against the Braves in nearly five years, Lopez will try to help Arizona avoid its longest losing streak since dropping nine straight Aug. 5-14, 2004. The Diamondbacks also endured a franchise-worst 14-game slide during that 111-loss season.

Lopez is 0-3 with a 3.46 ERA in four career starts versus Atlanta.