Giants-Braves Preview
Buster Posey is a Georgia native playing his final series at Turner Field. The San Francisco Giants star is expected back in the lineup Tuesday night as his team tries to even a four-game set with the Atlanta Braves. Posey did not start Monday's 5-3 loss to open this series after starting 15 of the club's previous 17 games. He reached on an error in the ninth as a pinch-hitter, dropping his average to .397 in 19 career games at Turner Field, including two in the postseason. That's his highest mark in any NL park. He should be back in the lineup after a weekend in which he went 6 for 13 with two homers and six RBIs as the Giants (32-21) took two of three in Colorado. Posey also showed his leadership skills by calling a team meeting before Saturday's contest, and San Francisco proceeded to total 18 runs in winning the last two games. The Giants were held in check Monday, managing a solo homer by Brandon Belt and five singles. They lost for the third time in 18 games. Third baseman Matt Duffy left after he was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning. X-rays were negative. Outfielder Hunter Pence has three straight multihit efforts, going 7 for 14 with three doubles and three RBIs. The Giants will get their first look at Braves starter Matt Wisler (2-4, 3.08 ERA) after he gave up three runs in six innings Thursday in a 6-2 home defeat to Milwaukee. Wisler struck out seven for the third straight outing. The right-hander has a 2.64 run-support average for one of baseball's worst marks. He has faced one Giants hitter, with Denard Span 1 for 4 against him. Atlanta (15-35) has won three of four at home after losing 20 of its first 22 there. Mallex Smith hit a three-run triple to support six-plus strong innings from Mike Foltynewicz. "The record's not good but these guys, it's not for lack of trying, these guys are unbelievable," interim manager Brian Snitker said. "Every day they show up, there's always energy, I hear 'em cutting up out there, they work hard, they grind it out and it's good to see when they're rewarded with a win like today." The Braves will try and extend a winless stretch by Giants starter Jake Peavy (1-5, 7.26) to seven games. Peavy is 0-4 with a 7.57 ERA in his last six since beating Miami on April 23. The veteran right-hander has yielded one run in two outings sandwiched around a poor effort May 20 in which he gave up five runs and recorded five outs in an 8-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs. He lasted 6 2/3 innings in Wednesday's 4-3, 10-inning win over San Diego. "I was obviously better than I was the other night, just honestly couldn't get in the dugout the other night, the stuff was a lot of the same as it was against Chicago and I stayed in control for the most part," Peavy said. Peavy has faced the Braves once in each of the last three years, going 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA. Jeff Francoeur is a .344 hitter against him and Nick Markakis is at .333 with a homer. |