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Braves-Rockies Preview

Aug 23, 2010 - 12:50 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Atlanta (72-51) at Colorado (62-60), 8:40 p.m. EDT

The way Atlanta's Tim Hudson has thrown the ball of late, the right-hander might find success just about anywhere he's pitching.

Even Coors Field.

Hudson looks to continue his recent dominance with a rare strong outing at Coors when the NL East-leading Braves open a three-game set with the Colorado Rockies on Monday night.

Looking to win at least 15 games for the sixth time in his 12-year career, the 35-year-old Hudson (14-5, 2.15 ERA) is 5-0 with an 0.82 ERA in six starts since losing to Milwaukee on July 17.

"Huddy has been on such a roll," manager Bobby Cox told the Braves' official website. "It's been eye-opening to tell you the truth."

The right-hander had his 19-inning scoreless streak snapped after giving up two runs and eight hits in seven innings while not factoring in the decision of a 3-2 win over Washington on Wednesday.

"I don't want to give up that many hits or let that many guys get on base," said Hudson, who will face the Rockies for the first time since 2007.

Though Hudson is 3-2 with a 4.65 ERA against the Rockies, he's given up 13 runs and seven walks over nine innings while losing both career starts at Coors - the last in 2006.

Atlanta (73-51), which owns a 2 1/2-game lead over Philadelphia, opened its six-game trip by taking two of three from the Chicago Cubs. Omar Infante and Jason Heyward each homered twice and drove in four as the Braves matched a season high for runs in a 16-5 rout of the Cubs on Sunday.

Infante is batting .447 during an 11-game hitting streak for the Braves, who have won their last two road series. He is hitting .417 with seven RBIs in 12 career games against Colorado.

Derrek Lee went 1 for 11 with three RBIs in his first series since Atlanta acquired him from Chicago on Wednesday. The first baseman is 0 for 6 against Jason Hammel (8-7, 4.36), who will try for his first victory against the Braves as he takes the mound for Colorado.

The right-hander is 0-2 with a 12.66 ERA in three starts versus Atlanta, and given up 12 runs and 17 hits in 4 2-3 innings of his last two outings against the Braves. He allowed seven runs over 1 2-3 innings of a 9-5 loss at Atlanta on April 16.

In his last start, Hammel yielded two in six innings of a 3-2, 10-inning win at Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Dexter Fowler hit a run-scoring single in the eighth inning and Jhoulys Chacin pitched 7 2-3 strong innings as the Rockies (63-60) snapped a three-game skid with a 1-0 win at Arizona on Sunday.

Fowler, batting .360 in his last seven games, is 6 for 15 against the Braves at Coors.

Colorado outfielder Carlos Gonzalez went 0 for 4 on Sunday in his return to the starting lineup after crashing into a wall and bruising his knee Wednesday in Los Angeles.

"I feel good," Gonzalez told the Rockies' official website.

Batting .315 this season, Gonzalez went 3 for 10 with a homer and three RBIs when Colorado dropped two of three at Atlanta in April.