Final/12
Padres-Braves Preview
Jul 21, 2010 - 6:10 PMVideo
San Diego (54-38) at Atlanta (55-38), 7:10 p.m. EDT
Matt Diaz is red hot and the Atlanta Braves are getting healthy.
Diaz could become the first Brave in four years to homer in four consecutive games Wednesday night when Atlanta hosts the San Diego Padres in the middle game of this series between division leaders.
Any lingering effects of a right thumb infection appear to be gone, as Diaz is hitting .432 with four homers and 11 RBIs in 10 games since returning to the lineup. The injury landed him on the disabled list for 42 games.
The left fielder has boosted his batting average 86 points to .257 during his surge, and he's connected for a homer in three consecutive games while collecting eight RBIs.
Diaz is in position to become the first Brave to homer in four straight games since Brian McCann did it from July 15-19, 2006. He extended his streak with a two-run shot in Tuesday's 4-1 win over San Diego.
"He's over that injury 100 percent," said manager Bobby Cox, who missed Tuesday's victory because of a one-game suspension. "He's been hot as heck."
Diaz's terrific play has coincided with Jason Heyward's return from a left thumb injury. The right fielder, who missed the All-Star game due to the injury, is 6 for 13 in four contests.
With the corner outfielders in place, Atlanta (55-38) is scheduled to get center fielder Nate McLouth back from a concussion suffered June 9 when he collided with Heyward.
The Braves haven't had McLouth, Diaz and Heyward start in the outfield together since a 7-6, 10-inning win at Washington on May 5.
McLouth, an All-Star with Pittsburgh in 2008, has a .176 batting average with three home runs.
Hoping that getting healthy will give it a chance to pull further away from the rest of the NL East, Atlanta also might get Chipper Jones back from a left hamstring injury, which has kept him out of the lineup for three games.
Tommy Hanson (8-6, 4.19 ERA) will try to continue his success against the NL West-leading Padres (54-38). The right-hander has won both meetings in San Diego behind a 2.25 ERA while striking out 12 in 12 innings.
Hanson is 3-2 with a 2.79 ERA in his last five home starts, but he lost his last game there Friday by allowing four runs in five innings of a 9-3 defeat to Milwaukee.
Jon Garland (9-6, 3.45) takes the mound for San Diego looking to get off to a better start. The right-hander has struggled in the first inning all season, posting a 5.21 ERA while allowing opponents to hit .337. Opponents hit .308 against him in his first run through a lineup, but just .219 the rest of the way.
Garland's early struggles were on display again Friday, when he gave up one run and two hits in the first and allowed one hit in the next five innings of a 12-1 win over Arizona.
"I guess it goes back to that old statement, 'If you're going to get a starting pitcher, you better get to him early,'" Garland told the team's official website. "I don't know what it is. I don't know if they just have a good plan or that they think I'm trying to attack the strike zone early to keep my pitch count down."
Garland is having a difficult time on the road, where he's 1-3 with a 5.61 ERA in his last four starts. He's allowed 13 of 16 total runs during the first three innings of those outings.
Garland has lost his only two starts against the Braves with a 14.04 ERA.
- Braves 4, Padres 6 - FINAL
SAN DIEGO ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
J Hairston Jr. 2b-ss 6 1 3 1 0 0 1 .256
Y Torrealba c 5 0 2 1 1 0 4 .303
A Gonzalez 1b 6 0 0 0 0 4 4 .294
C Headley 3b 6 0 1 0 0 0 4 .271
C Denorfia lf 5 1 2 0 1 1 0 .285
W Venable rf 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 .238
vb-A Cun
Jul 21 11:25 PM - NL
AT ATLANTA - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY NICK HUNDLEY SCORED OSCAR SALAZAR AND CHRIS
DENORFIA
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, N HUNDLEY ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: SAN DIEGO 6
ATLANTA 4 TOP,12TH
DUE UP FOR SAN DIEGO: J HAIRSTON JR. (.257, 3-FOR-5, HBP, RBI)
Padres 6, Braves 4 Top 12, 0 OutsJul 21 11:14 PM - NL
AT ATLANTA - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY YORVIT TORREALBA SCORED JERRY HAIRSTON JR.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, Y TORREALBA ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: SAN DIEGO 4
ATLANTA 4 TOP,9TH
DUE UP FOR SAN DIEGO: A GONZALEZ (.296, 0-FOR-4)
Padres 4, Braves 4 Top 9, 0 OutsJul 21 10:02 PM - NL
AT ATLANTA - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY SCOTT HAIRSTON (9) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 1
OUT IN THE 9TH OFF BILLY WAGNER.
CURRENT SCORE: SAN DIEGO 3, ATLANTA 4
DUE UP FOR SAN DIEGO: J HAIRSTON JR. (.255, 2-FOR-3, HBP, RBI)
Padres 3, Braves 4 Top 9, 0 OutsJul 21 9:59 PM - NL
AT ATLANTA - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY BRIAN MCCANN (12) TO RIGHT CENTER WITH 2
OUT IN THE 3RD OFF JON GARLAND SCORED CHIPPER JONES.
CURRENT SCORE: SAN DIEGO 2, ATLANTA 4
DUE UP FOR ATLANTA: T GLAUS (.256, 0-FOR-1)
Padres 2, Braves 4 Bot 3, 0 OutsJul 21 8:15 PM - NL
AT ATLANTA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY CHIPPER JONES SCORED JASON HEYWARD AND MARTIN
PRADO
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, C JONES ON FIRST, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: SAN DIEGO 2
ATLANTA 2 BOTTOM,3RD
DUE UP FOR ATLANTA: B MCCANN (.268, 0-FOR-1)
Padres 2, Braves 2 Bot 3, 0 OutsJul 21 8:12 PM - NL
AT ATLANTA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JERRY HAIRSTON JR. SCORED EVERTH CABRERA
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J HAIRSTON JR. ON FIRST, J GARLAND ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: SAN DIEGO 2
ATLANTA 0 TOP,2ND
DUE UP FOR SAN DIEGO: Y TORREALBA (.298, 0-FOR-1)
Padres 2, Braves 0 Top 2, 0 OutsJul 21 7:37 PM - NL
AT ATLANTA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY EVERTH CABRERA SCORED WILL VENABLE
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, E CABRERA ON FIRST, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: SAN DIEGO 1
ATLANTA 0 TOP,2ND
DUE UP FOR SAN DIEGO: J GARLAND (.194, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
Padres 1, Braves 0 Top 2, 0 OutsJul 21 7:31 PM
Related News
- 2023 Braves Season in Review: Raisel Iglesias Dec 26
- This Day in Braves History: Phil Niekro passes away Dec 26
- Christmas Day open thread Dec 25
- This Day in MLB History: December 25 Dec 25
- Christmas Eve open thread Dec 24
- This Day in Braves History: Milwaukee signs Rico Carty Dec 24
- This Day in Braves History: Milwaukee signs Rico Carey Dec 24
- Braves News: Holiday pause, season reviews, more Dec 24
- 2023 Minor league season in review: Luis De Avila Dec 23
- 2023 Braves Season in Review: Ozzie Albies Dec 23
- This Day in Braves History: J.D. Drew signs with Dodgers Dec 23
- Braves News: Offseason evaluation, season reviews, and more Dec 23