Atlanta @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 19, 2012 ) Atlanta 4, NY Yankees 3

The New York Yankees failed to match their longest winning streak in a generation on Tuesday night, as the Atlanta Braves snapped their 10-game stretch. Now the Yankees will have to scramble to avoid their first series loss this month. The Braves were swept at home by New York last week and would like to get some measure of revenge, if only to reverse the trend of dropping series to American League East teams.

Nick Swisher returned to the lineup after a two-game absence and drove in a pair for the Yankees on Tuesday, but New York squandered several other opportunities in a 4-3 setback. Atlanta threw out two runners at the plate and worked around two errors and six walks in the contest. The Braves also benefited from production at the bottom of the lineup, with No. 7 hitter Jason Heyward and rookie No. 8 hitter Andrelton Simmons combining for four hits and three RBIs. That production has helped pick up for slumping Dan Uggla in the cleanup spot. Uggla went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts on Tuesday and is 2-for-26 in the last eight games.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, SPSO (Atlanta), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Tommy Hanson (7-4, 3.32 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Phil Hughes (7-5, 4.50 ERA)

Hanson has allowed a total of four earned runs in his last three starts but was pulled after just 5 1/3 innings against Baltimore last weekend. He surrendered six walks in that outing and struck out only two. The 25-year-old has made one start in his career against the Yankees, tossing 5 1/3 scoreless innings while walking five and striking out four.

Hughes has been at the front of New York’s strong starting pitching recently, winning each of his three June starts while posting a 1.69 ERA. The right-hander, who turns 26 on Sunday, has allowed two earned runs or less in six of his last seven starts. Hughes has faced the Braves once in the past, tossing two hitless innings of relief.

WALK-OFFS:

1. Simmons has multiple hits in five of the last seven games.

2. Braves 1B Freddie Freeman (finger) returned to the lineup for the first time in a week on Tuesday and went 0-for-3 with a run scored.

3. The Yankees still own the best winning percentage in the American League at .612 (41-26).