• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Braves look to narrow playoff gap against Cardinals

Aug 25, 2007 - 2:20 PM Atlanta (67-62) at St Louis (61-64), 7:15 pm EDT

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) - The Atlanta Braves will look to narrow their deficit in the National League playoff race on Saturday when they take on the St. Louis Cardinals in Game Two of the three-game set.

The Braves took the first game of the series on Friday, 7-2, as John Smoltz pitched eight innings, allowing just the two runs on six hits while striking out six. With the win, Atlanta is tied with the Philadelphia Phillies (66-61) for second place in both the National League East and wild card race.

Atlanta in second place in the NL East, six games behind the New York Mets, who beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-2, on Friday.

The Braves are also three games behind the wild-card leading San Diego Padres (69-58), routed the Phillies, 14-3, on Friday.

Tim Hudson (15-5, 3.07 ERA) will look for his 10th straight win when he takes the mound for the Braves. A win would also tie him with Josh Beckett of the Boston Red Sox for the major league lead in wins.

During his current win steak, Hudson hasn't allowed more than three runs in any of his starts - including his last outing when he allowed three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts as Atlanta pounded the Cincinnati Reds, 14-4, on Monday.

Joel Pineiro (3-1, 3.38) will look to continue his own win streak when he toes the rubber for the Cardinals. Pineiro has won his last three starts, allowing just five runs in 19 innings over that span. His last loss came on August 4 in his first start after being traded to St. Louis from the Red Sox. The righthander allowed five runs - four earned - on seven hits, as the Cardinals suffered a 12-1 setback to the Washington Nationals.