Milwaukee @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( May 22, 2015 ) Milwaukee 11, Atlanta 0

The Atlanta Braves expect Shelby Miller to provide another solid outing when he takes the mound for Saturday’s home game with the Milwaukee Brewers, but the emerging ace will be hard-pressed to top his last start. Miller came within one out of firing Atlanta’s first no-hitter in 21 years Sunday in Miami, finishing with a two-hit shutout to further bolster his standing as the Braves’ ace.

Miller leads the majors in starter’s ERA (1.33), WHIP (0.83) and hits per nine innings (4.8), and Atlanta is 7-1 in his eight starts. The Brewers evened the four-game set with Friday’s 11-0 rout, and have slugged 34 homers in their past 23 contests. Ryan Braun has five homers in the past eight games with 15 RBIs, moving him within five RBIs of 800 for his career. Braun is hitting .321 in his past 14 games with six homers and 20 RBIs, raising his average from .229 to .273.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Mike Fiers (1-4, 4.75 ERA) vs. Braves RH Shelby Miller (5-1, 1.33)

Fiers has pitched better away from home, where he is 1-1 with a 2.60 ERA in three starts as opposed to a 6.29 ERA in five home outings. He has limited opponents to two earned runs or fewer in three of his four May starts, giving up two runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision Monday at Detroit. Fiers has surrendered 19 hits in 23 innings in May, after allowing 29 hits and four homers in 18 2/3 innings in April.

Even though Justin Bour’s line-drive single kept Miller out of the history books, the 24-year-old needed just 94 pitches to finish off his major-league leading second complete-game shutout. Miller is 2-0 with a sparkling 0.36 ERA in three May starts, holding opponents to a .099 batting average. Miller is 5-0 in eight career starts against the Brewers with a 2.20 ERA.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Brewers are 14-5 when scoring four or more runs, 2-22 when scoring three or fewer.

2. Atlanta CF Cameron Maybin extended his hitting streak to seven games with an eighth-inning single Friday.

3. Milwaukee had scored only 13 runs in the fourth inning all season before a seven-run fourth Friday.

PREDICTION: Braves 4, Brewers 1