News
Braves seek some southern comfort
Atlanta (17-17) vs. Arizona (13-22), 7:30 p.m. ET
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com
05/13/09 7:22 PM ET
NEW YORK -- Now that they've at least righted themselves during an eight-game road trip, it's time for the Braves to come home and prove that they're capable of experiencing similar success at Turner Field.Coming off a 6-2 road trip, the Braves will return to Atlanta on Friday to begin a 10-game homestand with a three-game series against the Diamondbacks. They'll be looking to snap the four-game home losing streak that they experienced before leaving town.
"I want to have the same intensity that we've had for the last eight days when we go back home," Chipper Jones said. "Up until this point, it's been kind of a different team that has played at home. We've been kind of relaxed and had the kind of sit-back-and-wait mentality. Here [on the road], it's an us-against-the-world mentality, and we're all together and we're all in the game. We need to take that intensity to Atlanta."
Since notching a three-game series sweep against the Nationals during the regular season's first weekend, the Braves have won just two of the 11 home games that have followed. Meanwhile, they've managed to win nine of their past 12 road games.
During their past 11 home games, the Braves have hit .236 with three homers and a .654 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage).These struggles are primarily a product of the fact that the Brian McCann and Garret Anderson have been in the same lineup during just one previous home game this year. They have both made their presence known while bolstering the middle of the lineup since ending their respective disabled list stints last week.
"I think the arrival of Mac and Garret has really helped us," said Javier Vazquez, who will start Friday night's series opener with the hope of notching his first home victory of the season.
Anderson, who enjoyed a three-hit, three-RBI performance during Wednesday afternoon's loss to the Mets, has some familiarity with Doug Davis, who will serve as Arizona's starter in the series opener. The veteran outfielder has five hits, including two doubles, a triple and a homer, in 22 career at-bats against the right-hander.
Vazquez has gone 0-3 with a 6.10 ERA in three home starts and 3-0 with a 2.10 ERA in four road starts. During his two most recent starts at Turner Field, the 32-year-old right-hander's performance have been marred by four-run innings that have been created after the start of the fifth inning.
"Javy has pitched well enough to win all of his starts this year," Braves manager Bobby Cox said.
Instead of thinking about this possibility, Vazquez says he's attempting to forget about what's happened in the past.
"I had two rough games at home against St. Louis and the Mets," Vazquez said. "That's in the past. I'm just looking forward to facing Arizona and then when that's done, I'll move on."
Pitching matchup
ATL: RHP Javier Vazquez (3-3, 3.88 ERA)
Coming off his victorious 115-pitch effort against the Phillies on Saturday, Vazquez should benefit from the one extra day of rest he'll receive entering his first start against the Diamondbacks since 2003. The only runs he surrendered in 7 2/3 innings against the Phillies came courtesy of a pair of solo homers. After allowing just one home run in his first five starts, the 33-year-old right-hander has seen each of the eight runs he's combined to allow in his past two outings come courtesy of the long ball. During his past six starts, Vazquez has worked 40 1/3 innings, recorded 57 strikeouts and issued just seven walks. ARI: LHP Doug Davis (2-5, 3.25 ERA)
Davis pitched well his last time out, but did not come away with a win because his offense struggled to score off Nationals starter John Lannan. Davis allowed one run on four hits over six innings and left trailing, 1-0. In his start prior to that against the Dodgers, Davis struggled allowing four runs on five hits in lasting just 4 1/3 innings. Afterward, he said he felt like he was trying to be too fine with his pitches, which caused him to fall behind in the count. Tidbits
With a go-ahead run on second base and one out during the eighth inning of Wednesday's win over the Mets, Cox lifted Jordan Schafer, who still doesn't have an RBI through his first 26 career at-bats with runners in scoring position. ... With two doubles on Wednesday, Jones moved ahead of Eddie Mathews and into second place in the franchise's all-time extra-base hits category. Jones' 902 extra-base hits rank a distant second to Hank Aaron's 1,429. ... The Braves' bullpen allowed two homers on Wednesday. Entering the day, they'd allowed just two over the first 94 1/3 innings they worked this year. On the Internet
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio• Gameday
• Official game notes On television
• Peachtree Television On radio
• 640 WGST, Project 9-6-1 Up next
• Saturday: Braves (Kenshin Kawakami, 2-4, 5.79) vs. Diamondbacks (Max Scherzer, 0-3, 3.98), 7:00 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Braves (Derek Lowe, 5-1, 3.80) vs. Diamondbacks (Jon Garland, 3-2, 5.18), 1:30 p.m. ET
• Monday: Braves (Jair Jurrjens, 3-2, 2.06) vs. Rockies (TBD), 7:00 p.m. ET
Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
