After last nights disappointing loss to the Pirates, the Braves will try to bounce back today and get ready for Friday's wild card game. Taking the mound for the Braves will be Tommy Hanson and for the Pirates, Kevin Correia will get the start.
Hanson was once considered the ace of this Atlanta Braves staff, but as of late he hasn't lived up to that title. Hanson just went through a stretch of seven starts and he went 0-4 with a 5.06 ERA, before picking up the win in his last start against the Marlins last Thursday. That was his first win in almost two months. Even worse the Braves are in Pittsburgh, and through Hanson's last four road starts, he has an 0-3 record with a 6.30 ERA. If Hanson wants a spot on the Braves postseason roster, tonight is a good chance for him to prove to the Braves he is dependable once again.
The offense needs to pick up the pace too. Chipper Jones is sure to take the night off after playing in seven consecutive games, but even he is struggling, going 1 for 18 in his last six games. Dan Uggla has hit Correia hard in his career, but he might also be out with his sore hand still bothering him. He cut it open when the Braves were celebrating their playoff berth last week.
It might be a good time for manager Fredi Gonzalez to give most of the starters a rest and give them a chance to get ready for the big game Friday. Brian McCann, Michael Bourn and Jason Heyward have all noticeably struggled within the past week or two. It also would give Fredi a chance to see which players he should take as reserves for the upcoming playoffs.
No comments:
Post a Comment