Kansas City @ Atlanta preview
Turner Field
The Atlanta Braves have shown they can handle some of the best teams in baseball. Now they can't afford a letdown against lesser competition.
The Braves get a chance to continue their recent roll when they host the Kansas City Royals on Friday at Turner Field for the start of a three-game interleague series.
The leaders in the National League East Division, the Braves are coming off having won two of three games against the Tampa Bay Rays. Atlanta went 2-1 in three games at American League Central-leading Minnesota before coming home and taking out the AL East-leading Rays.
Winners of four of their last five, the Braves have been tough all around lately but particularly so at home. Atlanta has won 11 of its last 12 at home and is 21-7 at Turner Field this season.
The Braves are the only team in the National League that has not lost at least 10 home games and have the fewest home losses in baseball.
Derek Lowe (8-5, 4.81 ERA) gets the start for the Braves. Lowe is no stranger to the Royals, having spent a number of years with the Boston Red Sox. In 21 games, including eight starts, Lowe is 2-5 with a 4.90 ERA and a pair of blown saves.
Like the rest of the Braves, Lowe has been good at home this season, posting a 5-2 record in seven starts at Turner Field.
Kansas City has won three of four and just took two of three from the Houston Astros.
Starter Brian Bannister hopes the Royals can continue their winning ways to help him rebound from a rough loss.
Bannister (6-4, 5.40) had a five-start win streak snapped in a big way in his last time out. He was torched for 11 runs and 10 hits in three innings on Saturday in an 11-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
Bannister will be making his first career start against the Braves. In six road starts this season, Bannister is 1-3 with an ERA of 8.22.
The Royals have shown some life offensively behind the duo of David DeJesus and Billy Butler.
Although DeJesus went hitless in the series finale against Houston, he has hit safely in 25 of his last 28 games and had at least three hits in three straight games prior to Thursday.
Butler has 10 hits in his last 22 at-bats, including five doubles and a home run, to lift his batting average to .339.