Atlanta @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 15, 2015 ) Miami 6, Atlanta 2

The Atlanta Braves started their season off with a three-game sweep of the Marlins in Miami and won five of their first six away from home, but it has been mostly downhill since then. The Braves look to halt their struggles outside of Atlanta on Friday, when they begin the final leg of their nine-game road trip with the first of three against the Marlins.

Atlanta outscored Miami 16-3 from April 6-8 and won two of three in Toronto just over a week later, but the team has dropped each of its next four road series and 10 of 12 overall away from home. The Braves fell to 1-5 on their current trek after managing only two hits in a 5-1 setback in Cincinnati on Wednesday. Miami returns home following a 4-6 road trip, stopping a three-game slide in Wednesday’s 5-4 comeback win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Dee Gordon, who leads the majors with a .426 batting average, collected four hits and scored twice against his former team while Giancarlo Stanton had three RBIs and capped a three-run rally in the seventh inning with a go-ahead two-run single.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN South (Atlanta), FSN Florida (Miami)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Julio Teheran (3-1, 4.74 ERA) vs. Marlins RH David Phelps (2-0, 2.90)

Teheran struggled with his control and command once again in a no-decision on Saturday, giving up a season-high six earned runs on 10 hits – including two home runs – and three walks in five frames during a loss at Washington. The 24-year-old Colombian has already surrendered eight homers and issued 17 free passes despite not lasting more than six innings in any of his seven outings. Teheran has thrived in nine career starts against the Marlins, going 5-1 with a 2.64 ERA.

Continuing his rebound from a dismal two-game showing out of the bullpen at the beginning of the season, Phelps improved to 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five turns since joining the rotation after winning in San Francisco on Saturday. The Notre Dame product, who has yet to give up more than two runs in any of his starts, permitted one run on six hits over six innings in his last. Phelps made his Marlins’ debut as a reliever on April 7 versus the Braves, giving up two hits over two-thirds of an inning.

WALK-OFFS

1. Marlins LF Ichiro Suzuki is four hits shy of Babe Ruth (2,873) for 42nd place on the all-time list.

2. The Braves have been limited to two hits or fewer twice in 2015 – one more than all of last season and four fewer than their total during their run to the National League East title in 2013.

3. Stanton is 3-for-24 with one homer in his career against Teheran.

PREDICTION: Marlins 6, Braves 2