• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Braves, Marlins vie for supremacy

Apr 13, 2009 - 9:31 PM By Dan Pieringer Stats Writer

Florida (5-1) at Atlanta (5-1), 7:10 p.m. EDT

ATLANTA (AP) -- The NL East was expected to be one of the most competitive divisions in baseball this year. One week into the season, it's two unlikely clubs dueling at the top.

The Atlanta Braves and Florida Marlins look to continue their hot starts Tuesday night when they open a three-game series in Atlanta.

Reigning World Series champion Philadelphia and the revamped New York Mets were the preseason favorites to finish at the top of the NL East in 2009. But the Braves and Marlins have gotten off to the best starts in the division, each with five wins in their first six games.

The Marlins used their explosive offense to win four of their first five, then got a dominant pitching performance from Josh Johnson to improve to 5-1 for the first time in franchise history.

The Marlins managed only three hits Sunday, but Johnson took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and finished with a five-hitter in a 2-1 win over the Mets.

"You've got to love it," first baseman Wes Helms said. "Hopefully, we can jump out to a good lead and keep playing good ball and not have to do too much when it comes to August and September. We want to win now."

That could be tough against the Braves, who have been just as good so far. Atlanta took two of three at Philadelphia to start the season before sweeping Washington at home over the weekend.

"It's good to get off to a good start," said manager Bobby Cox, whose team has missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons after winning 14 straight division titles. "If you start 1-5 instead of 5-1, it's tough to come back."

Cox's club capped its sweep of the Nationals with an 8-5 win Sunday in which seven players drove in at least one run. The Braves are batting .300 in their second 5-1 start in three years. They won seven of their first eight in 2007.

"We're swinging it really good," said third baseman Chipper Jones, who's had at least one hit in each of his five games and is batting .400 (8-for-20). "And it's coming from all parts. ... When you're producing some runs down at the bottom of the order, it really takes the pressure off the top, because you know eventually the top is going to come through."

The Braves hope their offense continues to deliver for Tuesday's starter Javier Vazquez (0-0, 4.50 ERA). The right-hander, acquired from the Chicago White Sox in the offseason, didn't get a decision in his Braves debut Wednesday, allowing three runs and five hits in six innings of a 12-11 loss at Philadelphia.

Vasquez is 6-5 with a 4.68 ERA in 17 career games against the Marlins, whom he hasn't faced since 2005.

Florida will hand the ball to Chris Volstad, a right-hander who went 6-4 with a 2.88 ERA in 15 games - 14 starts - as a rookie in 2008.

Volstad (1-0, 1.80) continued his smooth transition to the majors in his 2009 debut Wednesday, holding Washington to one earned run while striking out a career-high seven in a 6-4 win.

Volstad is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two starts against the Braves.

Atlanta went 10-8 against Florida in 2008, including 6-3 at Turner Field.