Dodgers 5 - 3 Braves
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Apr 20, 2016 - 4:11 AM After an unlucky beginning to his major league career, Ross Stripling appears to be catching his next opponent at the wrong time.

The Los Angeles Dodgers rookie takes the mound Wednesday night to face an Atlanta Braves team that's heating up offensively after a dreadful start.

Atlanta hit .196 while totaling 24 runs in losing its first nine games, but it's scored 26 in winning four straight since. The Braves are batting .429 with runners in scoring position during the streak following a 5-for-12 effort in Tuesday's 8-1 rout of Los Angeles.

Tyler Flowers and Mallex Smith each had three RBIs to help Atlanta take the opener of this three-game set, with Flowers finishing 4 for 4. Nick Markakis is 8 for 20 with six RBIs over a five-game hitting streak and Freddie Freeman 5 for 15 during a four-game run after starting 2 for 25.

Atlanta's resurgent offense gets its first look at Stripling (0-0, 2.03 ERA), who tossed 7 1-3 no-hit innings at San Francisco in his April 8 debut and held Arizona to two runs over six on Thursday.

''I think (the San Francisco) game gave him the confidence that he could pitch up here,'' catcher A.J. Ellis said. ''He was the same guy (Thursday). He had the same poise, the same composure and was very unflappable on the mound.''

Despite those impressive showings, Stripling has yet to be rewarded with his first major league win. The 25-year-old left with a 2-0 lead the bullpen blew against the Giants and he received no run support in the Dodgers' 5-2 win over the Diamondbacks.

The latter scenario could play out again, as Los Angeles (8-6) hasn't recorded more than six hits in three straight games. The Dodgers were held to five by five Atlanta pitchers in Tuesday's opener.

Williams Perez, starting on three days' rest with Julio Teheran pushed back by a fever, threw 3 1-3 scoreless innings and Ryan Weber allowed one run over 3 2-3 to earn his first major league win.

Teheran (0-2, 6.35) will start Wednesday as the 2014 All-Star attempts to reverse his early struggles. He's allowed 10 earned runs over 11 innings in losing two straight starts.

The right-hander did work seven innings Thursday in Washington, where he served up Bryce Harper's first career grand slam en route to a 6-2 defeat.

Teheran owns a 6.08 ERA in losing all four previous starts against Los Angeles, though he did match a career high with 11 strikeouts over seven innings in a 3-1 setback at Turner Field on July 22.

Yasiel Puig is 4 for 6 with a home run off Teheran, while Yasmani Grandal has gone 3 for 7 with two doubles and Adrian Gonzalez is 4 for 12 with a home run.

Puig is batting .379 with four homers and nine RBIs in 15 career games against Atlanta and .347 this season, though he's knocked in just one run over his last 11 games.

The Dodgers lost two of three in last season's visit to Atlanta and four of the series' last five meetings.






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