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Diamondbacks-Braves Preview

May 16, 2010 - 4:39 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Arizona (14-22) at Atlanta (17-18), 1:35 p.m. EDT

After struggling to score runs consistently for more than a week, the Arizona Diamondbacks got a much-needed boost from their offense against the Atlanta Braves.

Getting runs off Braves starter Tim Hudson, however, could prove more difficult.

Hudson will try to continue his impressive month by adding to his dominance over the visiting Diamondbacks on Sunday.

An inconsistent offense is one of the reasons why Arizona (15-22) is last in the NL West, and the Diamondbacks were mired in another funk during their seven-game losing streak, scoring 20 runs while batting .204.

They ended that skid Saturday night with an 11-1 victory, getting seven extra-base hits among their 13 total. Justin Upton, who started the scoring with a first-inning solo homer, finished a double shy of the cycle, and Stephen Drew and Kelly Johnson also went deep during a five-run ninth.

After batting .217 over the team's first 30 games, Upton is 11 for 29 (.379) in the past seven and has a pair of three-hit performances in this series.

"I'm doing nothing different," Upton said. "It's just one of those things. I'm actually seeing the ball pretty well."

Johnson's 11th homer, meanwhile, pushed him into a tie for the NL lead with the Los Angeles Dodgers' Andre Ethier. He'll next face his former teammate Hudson (3-1, 2.64 ERA) for the first time Sunday.

Given his performance over the past three starts, seeing Hudson might not be a welcome sight for Johnson.

After starting 1-1 with a 3.28 ERA, the right-hander has won two of his last three outings while posting a 1.83 ERA. He overcame a career high-tying six walks to earn his latest victory Tuesday night in Milwaukee, allowing one run over six innings.

"It was one of those nights there wasn't a whole lot working," Hudson told the Braves' official website. "I was able to go out there and gut it out. It wasn't exactly how I drew it up, but nights like tonight for me are more satisfying than the nights when I go out there with great stuff and it's easy," Hudson said.

Hudson has experienced few difficulties in his career against the Diamondbacks, whom he hasn't faced since 2007. He's 4-0 with a 1.61 ERA in six career starts versus Arizona.

The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, will counter with Dan Haren (4-2, 4.23), who will try to bounce back from his first loss in six starts.

The right-hander, among the major league leaders with 60 strikeouts, fanned eight of the first nine batters he faced Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers and set a franchise record by striking out the side in each of the first three innings.

Haren, however, also matched another season high by giving up 10 hits and four runs over 6 1-3 innings of a 13-3 loss.

He's had a little better luck in his career against the Braves (17-19), winning three of four matchups despite a 5.40 ERA. Haren beat Atlanta on May 28 by allowing two runs over eight innings.

To earn another win over the Braves, Haren might want to pitch carefully to Troy Glaus. The former Diamondbacks player is 19 for 50 (.380) with 14 RBIs in his 13 games this month.