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Hudson, Johnson square off in Atlanta

Apr 13, 2011 - 2:37 PM (Sports Network) - Two of the National League's best pitchers in 2010 have continued their momentum into 2011 and will meet tonight when the Atlanta Braves host the Florida Marlins in the middle test of a three-game series at Turner Field.

Veteran right-hander Tim Hudson gets the ball for the hosts, who got seven shutout innings from Tommy Hanson - along with a pair of runs batted in from Chipper Jones - in taking Tuesday night's opener, 5-0. Jason Heyward and Brian McCann each hit a solo homer, while Nate McLouth added an RBI double for Atlanta, which won for only the second time in its last six tries.

Hanson (1-2) allowed four hits and a pair of walks while striking out five. Three relievers combined to give up only one hit and two walks in two innings.

Chris Coghlan and Mike Stanton each had a pair of hits for the Marlins, who have lost two in a row and three of five overall.

Chris Volstad (0-1) was roughed up for five runs on eight hits over 4 2/3 frames. The right-hander walked two and fanned three.

A 17-game winner last season, Hudson has already gone seven-plus innings and picked up wins in his initial two starts of 2011. The 35-year-old Georgia native allowed three hits and a run over seven frames in an 11-2 drubbing of Washington on April 3, then returned for a 7 2/3-inning stint while scattering eight hits and two earned runs in a 6-3 defeat of Philadelphia on April 8.

The defeat of the Phillies in his last start gave Hudson 167 career wins against just 87 losses - a .657 winning percentage.

This will be his 20th career start against the Marlins. In the first 19 outings, he's gone 9-3 and recorded a 2.84 earned run average across 117 1/3 innings, allowing 112 hits and striking out 102 batters.

Hudson's counterpart, 27-year-old righty Josh Johnson makes his third start while following up a 2010 season in which he reached double-digit wins (11) for the Marlins and posted a stingy 2.30 ERA.

The Minneapolis native went 6 2/3 innings and allowed three hits in a 6-2 defeat of the New York Mets on April 1, then returned six days later for a no- decision against the Nationals in a game the Marlins ultimately lost, 5-3.

In 12 2/3 innings overall, he's held opponents to a .156 batting average.

Johnson has 15 career appearances against the Braves, including 14 starts, and has won four of seven decisions with a 2.48 ERA in 87 complete innings - striking out 95 batters.

The Braves went 11-7 versus Florida in 2010.