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With the offense rolling, Braves look for sweep

Aug 2, 2007 - 2:43 PM Houston (46-61) at Atlanta (57-51) 7:35 pm EDT

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- The Atlanta Braves' offense is clicking on all cylinders. The addition of Mark Teixeira has made them even more dangerous.

The Braves' hot offense looks to keep running and help complete a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros on Thursday.

Atlanta has scored 38 runs over the past three games and shows no signs of slowing down. The Braves jumped on the Astros early with seven first-inning runs and cruised to a 12-3 win on Wednesday. Teixeira, who was acquired on Tuesday, hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs in his debut.

Rookie Jo-Jo Reyes (0-1, 8.20 ERA) takes the hill for Atlanta, which is 3 1/2 games behind the New York Mets for first place in the National League East Division.

The 22-year-old Reyes is still searching for his first major league win. The lefthander was roughed up for seven runs and seven hits in four innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks in an 8-7 loss on Friday.

As for Houston, it has lost three straight games and is a NL-worst 18-36 on the road. Woody Williams' season has been a microcosm of the Astros' struggles on the road. The 40-year-old Williams (5-12, 5.14 ERA) is 2-8 with a 5.01 ERA in 13 starts away from Minute Maid Park.

Williams, who has just one win in his last seven road starts, allowed five runs and eight hits in six innings of a 9-4 home loss to the San Diego Padres on Friday.

The Astros will be looking for a long outing out of Williams considering each of the last two starters have failed to make it to the fifth inning.