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Braves take aim at series win over Padres

Aug 29, 2012 - 2:50 PM (Sports Network) - The Atlanta Braves were able to end San Diego's season-high winning streak at eight games and will shoot for a series win Wednesday evening in the rubber match of a three-game set at Petco Park.

The Braves are aiming to close out a 10-game road trip (4-5) at .500 and recorded a 2-0 win last night behind Kris Medlen's superb performance on the mound. Medlen struck out nine batters over eight scoreless innings and allowed five hits. He has won four straight starts, is unbeaten in his past five decisions and ran his scoreless innings streak to 28 1/3.

"It doesn't matter to me," said Medlen of the streak. "We're winning games. That's all that really matters."

Atlanta has won Medlen's last 17 starts and his scoreless innings streak is the longest since Greg Maddux went 39 1/3 back in 2000.

Chipper Jones delivered an RBI double and Dan Uggla added a solo home run, as Atlanta won for the third time in its last four games. The Braves moved within four games of Washington for the NL East lead and still sit stop the Wild Card standings. They will head home tonight for a seven-game residency versus Philadelphia and Colorado.

Tommy Hanson gets the call for Atlanta and will try to pitch his club to a series win. Hanson lost his last time out in a 5-2 setback at San Francisco on Thursday, as he allowed five runs -- four earned -- and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. Hanson was 3-0 in his previous six starts and fell to 12-6 in 24 outings this season to go along with a 4.40 earned run average.

Hanson has fared well both on the road this season and against the Padres in his career. The right-hander is 8-3 in 13 road assignments and 4-0 with a 2.01 ERA in five lifetime matchups with San Diego.

San Diego lost for the first time since Aug. 18 versus the Giants and couldn't solve Medlen in the batter's box.

Everth Cabrera had a team-best two hits and Andrew Werner pitched well in defeat, as he yielded two runs and four hits in six innings. Werner fanned seven batters and did not issue a walk.

"I just tried to keep the team in the game. There's one pitch I'd really like back against Uggla because a one-run game is completely different than a two- run game," Werner told the club's website. "I just tried to fill it up and see what happens, and it just wasn't good enough."

The Padres hope to start a new winning streak tonight and will hit the road for six games against the Rockies and Dodgers later this week.

Eric Stults draws the start for San Diego and looks to keep his recent unbeaten streak intact. He is 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA in his last four trips to the mound and won at Arizona on Friday in a 5-0 decision, as he held the Diamondbacks to three hits through seven shutout innings.

Stults is now 4-2 with a 2.68 earned run average in 12 games (8 starts) this season and defeated Atlanta back on Aug. 13 at Turner Field. He gave up a run in 7 2/3 innings of work and is 1-2 with a 3.13 ERA in six career games (2 starts) against the Braves.

The Padres lost three of those four meetings with Atlanta from Aug. 13-16 at Turner Field.