San Francisco @ Atlanta preview
Turner Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 7, 2010 ) San Francisco 0, Atlanta 3
The Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants are about to wrap up a hotly contested four-game series. Based on the way they’ve pitched lately, the two clubs may be headed for another clash in October.
Derek Lowe and Jonathan Sanchez face off on Sunday in the finale of a low-scoring series, which could be a potential playoff preview.
Atlanta and San Francisco will not face each other again this season unless it is in October.
And it is a distinct possibility that will happen. The Braves own a two-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the American League East.
The Giants, meanwhile, lead the NL wild card by 1 ½ games over Philadelphia and St. Louis. San Francisco is also just one game behind San Diego in the NL West.
Both the Braves and the Giants have gotten to this point by relying on their terrific pitching staffs. Not surprisingly, the teams have combined to score just 13 runs over the first three games of this series.
Tim Hudson put forth the latest gem Saturday, tossing eight scoreless innings in the Braves’ 3-0 win. Atlanta improved to 38-15 at home, where it has lost only one series all season (April 20-22 vs. Philadelphia).
Lowe (10-9, 4.44 ERA) has also been very good at Turner Field, going 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA in his last six starts there.
The sinkerballer is winless in his last four starts, but his last outing was a confidence booster. Lowe allowed one run and six hits in six innings but did not receive a decision in a 3-2 loss to the New York Mets on Tuesday.
He reached the sixth inning for the first time since July 5.
The Giants know firsthand how inconsistent Lowe can be. He walked a career-high seven Giants on April 10 but managed to allow just one run and four hits in six innings of a 7-2 win on April 10.
Lowe is 6-5 with a 3.00 ERA in 16 starts against the Giants, who are trying to rebound from being shut out for the 10th time this season.
San Francisco would like to see Jonathan Sanchez (8-6, 3.38) duplicate his last start. The left-hander, whose name was mentioned in trade talks, responded by tying the franchise record with seven straight strikeouts in a 10-0 win over Colorado on Tuesday.
He allowed just three hits in six innings and finished with nine strikeouts. Sanchez is 1-2 with a 5.48 ERA in six appearances against Atlanta.