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Braves vie for rare road sweep of Reds

Apr 25, 2009 - 11:13 PM By Dan Pieringer Stats Writer

Atlanta (9-8) at Cincinnati (9-8), 1:10 p.m. EDT

CINCINNATI (AP) -- The Atlanta Braves have placed two middle-of-the-order hitters on the disabled list this weekend. That didn't stop the team from delivering one of its best performances at the plate.

The Braves hope they can continue to make up for the absences of Brian McCann and Garret Anderson on Sunday when they try to sweep a three-game road series against the Cincinnati Reds for the first time since 1995.

Atlanta (9-8) placed Anderson on the 15-day disabled list Friday because of a strained left thigh. McCann, an All-Star each of the last three seasons, joined him on the DL on Saturday with a left eye infection.

Though Anderson and McCann have both started slowly, they'll be missed in the middle of Atlanta's batting order. The Braves fared well without them Saturday, though, getting 12 hits in a 10-2 victory.

Yunel Escobar, hitless in his previous 10 at-bats coming into the game, fell a triple shy of the cycle, drove in a career-high four runs and scored three times. Chipper Jones hit a three-run homer and finished with four RBIs.

"Escobar broke out," manager Bobby Cox said. "It was good to see. With McCann and Anderson out, we need some guys to pick us up. They can do it."

The Braves are in position to sweep a three-game series in Cincinnati for the first time since Sept. 15-17, 1995, at Riverfront Stadium. They won all three of their games in Cincinnati in 2001, but one of those was played in April and the other two in July.

Prior to this series, Cincinnati had won six straight at home against Atlanta.

Improvements in the field could help the Reds (9-8) avoid the sweep. They committed two errors and misplayed a few other balls in the outfield Saturday.

Manager Dusty Baker would also like to see his pitchers show a little more control. The Reds have walked 14 batters and hit two others with pitches in the first two games.

"We've got to play better defense," Baker told the Reds' official Web site. "We've got to cut down on walks. The last two days are hard to swallow."

Escobar was the victim of both hit-by-pitches, and both benches cleared without a punch thrown after he was plunked in Friday's game. Both teams were warned after Braves starter Derek Lowe hit Reds first baseman Joey Votto in the first inning Saturday.

Cincinnati right-hander Micah Owings (0-2, 5.59 ERA) will try again for his first win with the club in his first home start since coming over in the trade that sent Adam Dunn to Arizona last summer.

Owings didn't pitch for the Reds in 2008, and he's dropped his first two outings this season on the road. He was reached for five runs - two earned - in a 7-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.

Owings is 2-0 with a 3.46 ERA in two career starts against the Braves, both in Atlanta.

The Braves will hand the ball to Japanese rookie Kenshin Kawakami (1-2, 4.76). The right-hander gave up four runs - two earned - in five innings of a 4-3 loss at Washington on Tuesday.