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Braves set to honor Cox in opener with Cubs

Aug 12, 2011 - 3:09 PM (Sports Network) - While the Braves will be honoring some faces from the past this weekend, the current squad continues to be focused on the present. No player is more locked in on what is going on right now than Dan Uggla, whose hitting streak is on the verge of setting an Atlanta record.

The Braves seek a fifth straight victory in tonight's opener of a three-game series with the Chicago Cubs, a contest that will begin following a ceremony to honor former manager Bobby Cox.

Cox will have his No. 6 jersey retired less than one year after managing his final game with the Braves. Starting in 1991, he helped the Braves win 14 division titles, five National League pennants and one World Series title, which came in 1995, before retiring after last season.

"I think the No. 6 in Atlanta, especially in today's age of media and attention, Bobby is as big as Hank [Aaron]," Braves third baseman Chipper Jones told his team's website. "Bobby's number in this day and age is as recognizable as Hank's, and that's lofty, lofty [praise].

Atlanta, which is also set to honor the 1991 worst-to-first team, made the playoffs for the 15th time under Cox last year when it claimed the wild card, a position it currently holds heading into this game. The Braves are a season- high 20 games over .500 (69-49) and lead the wild card race by five games, but are still 8 1/2 contests behind the NL East-leading Phillies.

Atlanta secured a three-game sweep of the Marlins on Wednesday with a 6-2 victory. Uggla wasted no time extending his hitting streak to 31 straight games, lining the first pitch he saw for a two-run single in the first inning. Uggla moved into a tie with Rico Carty (1970) for the longest hit streak in Atlanta history, and is also six games shy of Tommy Holmes' franchise-record 37-game run that was set in 1945 when the club was located in Boston.

"It's a cool thing. This is an awesome organization and to have some kind of record ... it's real special," said Uggla, who is hitting .355 with 29 RBI over his hit streak, which dates back to July 5 and is now the longest in the majors this season.

With Cox set to be honored and Uggla riding an impressive streak, Mike Minor will make his under-the-radar start tonight, his second since rejoining the rotation due to Jair Jurrjens' injury.

Making his first start with the Braves since June 21, Minor did not get a decision in a 6-5 win over the Mets on Sunday. The 23-year-old southpaw gave up four runs on seven hits and two walks over 5 2/3 innings. He is 1-2 with a 4.85 earned run average in seven starts and has not allowed a homer in 39 innings this season.

Minor would love to duplicate his first career start versus the Cubs that came on Aug. 22 of last year. He picked up a win by striking out a career-high 12 batters, giving up three runs over six innings of a 16-5 win.

The two clubs haven't met since, with the Braves winning eight of the past 12 matchups overall.

Chicago also comes into this game on a roll, having won nine of its past 11 games. That includes back-to-back wins over Washington, with Thursday's 4-3 win giving the Cubs a series victory.

Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Pena powered the triumph by hitting back-to-back homers in the seventh inning. Ryan Dempster got the win with seven innings of one-run ball and Carlos Marmol secured his 26th save despite loading the bases with nobody out in the ninth. He got out of the jam by allowing only one run, making Pena's blast off Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann the winner.

"I was just trying to square him up," Pena said. "He was pitching very well, but in that inning we were able to get three off him. He was actually throwing the ball great."

Kerry Wood fanned both batters he faced in the game to give him a club record- tying eight straight strikeouts.

Carlos Zambrano draws the start tonight looking for a third straight victory. He bested the Reds on Saturday, giving up three runs on six hits and four walks over six innings. The right-hander also struck out six and hit his 23rd career homer in the 11-4 win.

"He was pretty darn good out there today," said Quade. "He made his pitches today and it was a good workman's performance. It's what you get out of him whenever he goes out there."

The 30-year-old Zambrano moved to 9-6 with a 4.46 ERA in 23 games this season. He is just 2-4 with a 5.43 ERA in 12 career starts against the Braves.