• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Marlins-Braves Preview

Aug 28, 2010 - 3:36 AM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Florida (64-62) at Atlanta (73-54), 7:10 p.m. EDT

The Florida Marlins are quietly positioning themselves to be a factor down the stretch in the NL playoff race. With a few more victories against the Atlanta Braves, they might be one soon.

After opening a stretch of six games against the Braves in 10 days with an emphatic win, the visiting Marlins try to inch closer to the East leaders Saturday night as Ricky Nolasco returns from injury to oppose Atlanta ace Tim Hudson.

Florida (65-52) was 11 1/2 games behind the Braves (73-55) on Aug. 16, but has quickly made up ground since in both in the division and wild-card races.

The Marlins' division deficit shrunk to 7 1/2 after they hit back-to-back homers twice in Friday's 7-1 series-opening win. Florida has five more head-to-head chances to pull closer before Sept. 5, eight remaining games against the Braves in all and seven versus second-place Philadelphia.

Atlanta has lost four straight.

"We've got 35 games left," said Marlins center fielder Cameron Maybin, who homered Friday before leaving in the seventh with a strained groin. "I know everybody in here is thinking about it. We're playing some good baseball. We're not counting ourselves out until the season is over."

Second baseman Dan Uggla, who also homered Friday, should be excited about a Braves-heavy schedule. Uggla is hitting .317 with seven homers in his last 16 games versus Atlanta, and he's a .351 (13 for 37) hitter with two homers against Hudson.

Success off Hudson (14-5, 2.28 ERA) doesn't come easily. The three-time All-Star right-hander is 4-0 with a 0.75 ERA in his last five home starts, and will be looking once again to win a sixth straight decision overall.

Hudson has left without a decision in his last two outings. The four runs over six innings he surrendered Monday in a 5-4 loss at Colorado marked his worst start since July 17.

Hudson should be plenty familiar with his mound opponent. He and Nolasco (14-8, 4.22) have squared off twice this season, though neither was brought back after a fifth-inning rain delay in Atlanta's 8-3 road win May 27.

Both were strong July 4 at Turner Field. Hudson gave up three runs in eight innings, but Nolasco yielded two over seven while striking out 11 in a 3-2 Florida victory.

Nolasco's high number of strikeouts weren't unusual for him against Atlanta. He fanned a career-high 16 over 7 2-3 innings of a 5-4 road win over the Braves on Sept. 30.

"Nolasco always strikes out a lot of our guys," Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said. "He always has. Occasionally, he'll ring up 12, 13 punchouts."

The right-hander hasn't started since Aug. 17, missing his scheduled turn Sunday after a torn medial meniscus was discovered in his right knee.

Nolasco plans to stay in the rotation for now, postponing surgery until the offseason.

"The arm is fine," manager Edwin Rodriguez told the Marlins' official website. "We're going to monitor him very close, especially if he has to cover a base or there is a lot of action around the mound."

Doctors told Nolasco he may have been pitching with the tear for while, but it certainly didn't seem to be a burden in his two most recent starts. He struck out eight over six innings of a 5-0 win at Washington on Aug. 12, then set nine down on strikes over six in a 6-0 victory Aug. 17 at Pittsburgh.

Atlanta catcher Brian McCann is 12 for 34 (.353) with five homers against Nolasco.