Atlanta @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 1, 2015 ) Atlanta 8, Arizona 1

The Atlanta Braves look to continue their offensive surge when they visit the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday for the second of a three-game series. The Braves have totaled 23 runs during their three-game win streak, including an 8-1 victory over the weary Diamondbacks on Monday as Freddie Freeman recorded a homer and three RBIs.

Freeman has gone deep in three of the last four games while Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons is 11-for-22 in his last six contests and has hit safely in 10 straight – one from tying his career best. Shelby Miller, who has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season, takes the mound for Atlanta after starter Alex Wood silenced Arizona’s bats on Monday. The Diamondbacks have dropped five of their last seven games, including a 17-inning affair at Milwaukee on Sunday. Arizona slugger Paul Goldschmidt is 11-for-22 with three homers and five RBIs during a five-game hitting streak.

TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), FSN Arizona

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Shelby Miller (5-2, 1.48 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Josh Collmenter (3-5, 5.05)

Miller took the loss last time out at San Francisco despite giving up one run and five hits over seven innings – his first defeat in five contests. The 24-year-old Texas native has completed at least seven innings in five of his last six starts and surrendered 41 hits (four homers) in 67 innings overall. Miller, acquired from St. Louis in the offseason, gave up two runs in six innings to beat Arizona in his lone outing against the Diamondbacks in 2013.

Collmenter hopes to turn his fortunes around after going four games without a win and yielding eight homers in his past five starts. The Central Michigan product gave up two runs in five innings in each of his last two outings without getting a decision and has walked only nine in 57 innings overall. Freeman is 8-for-15 with a homer versus Collmenter, who is 1-3 with a 2.81 ERA in seven appearances (four starts) against Atlanta.

WALK-OFFS

1. Atlanta 3B Juan Uribe, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in late May, is 5-for-12 with two homers and five RBIs in his last three contests.

2. Arizona C Jarrod Saltalamacchia is 2-for-12 with a run scored and five strikeouts in three games since being signed as a free agent.

3. The Braves have won seven of the last 10 games against the Diamondbacks while averaging 5.7 runs in that span.

PREDICTION: Braves 6, Diamondbacks 1