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Braves-Twins Preview

Jun 11, 2010 - 5:03 AM By DAN PIERINGER STATS Editor

Atlanta (34-26) at Minnesota (35-24), 8:10 p.m. EDT

Tim Hudson of the Atlanta Braves and Francisco Liriano of the Minnesota Twins have overcome Tommy John surgery on their pitching elbows to help lead their teams into first place in their respective divisions.

The similarities do not extend to their recent performances in interleague play.

Liriano looks to continue his dominance of the NL as the Twins open a three-game series against the Braves, who hope Hudson can get his first interleague win on the road in nearly eight years.

Minnesota (35-25) leads the AL Central in part because Liriano (5-3, 3.10 ERA) has recaptured his form after initially struggling in his return from elbow surgery that sidelined him for the entire 2007 season.

Hudson (6-1, 2.44) has also recovered successfully from Tommy John surgery, helping Atlanta (35-26) take first place in the NL East after missing the second half of the 2008, and most of last year.

While both players are happy to be successful comeback stories, they've had very different results in interleague play in recent seasons.

Liriano, who has never faced the Braves, is 7-1 with a 2.67 ERA in eight career interleague starts. NL opponents are batting .198 against the left-hander, who has struck out 61 in 54 innings.

Hudson is 1-11 with a 7.27 ERA in 14 interleague starts since he was traded to Atlanta before the 2005 season. He hasn't won an interleague start on the road since beating Pittsburgh on June 20, 2002, while with Oakland.

The right-hander is 6-2 with a 2.12 ERA in 13 career starts against the Twins, but he's winless in four meetings since July 17, 2003.

Hudson could have an easy time snapping that skid if the Braves can replicate their latest offensive performance. They matched a season high with 16 hits in an 11-7 victory over Arizona on Thursday, their third win in seven games since a nine-game winning streak.

Atlanta blew a five-run lead before responding with four runs in the ninth.

"That was a hard game to enjoy, it really was," manager Bobby Cox said. "It would never end. ... That would have been a tough one to swallow if we lost."

The Twins had a comeback bid fall short Thursday night, losing 9-8 to Kansas City after trailing 8-1 through six innings. Minnesota had a six-game home winning streak snapped because of some uncharacteristically sloppy defense and baserunning.

"Probably as sloppy as we've played in a long time," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I don't remember the last time we had a defensive ballgame as bad as that one. Baserunning, pretty bad, too."

Gardenhire's club will try to bounce back behind Liriano, who scattered five hits and matched his season high with 10 strikeouts Saturday night against Oakland. He didn't get a decision in Minnesota's 4-3 victory despite allowing only two runners past second base through seven innings.

"When you've got command of three pitches like that, he's pretty good," Gardenhire told the Twins' official website. "He's been throwing the ball really well for us."

Hudson gave up season highs of four runs and nine hits in seven innings of the Braves' 5-4, 11-inning loss to the Dodgers on Sunday.

To rebound, Hudson might have to pitch carefully to Minnesota's Jim Thome, who's 9 for 16 with four home runs and six walks against him.