Philadelphia @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 16, 2014 ) Philadelphia 6, Atlanta 1

The Atlanta Braves' comfort zone in the National League East is shrinking by the day, so much so that the cellar-dwelling Philadelphia Phillies aren't too far removed from knocking on their door. The Phillies vie for a series victory and their sixth win in eight games when they visit the Braves on Tuesday. Ryan Howard homered and drove in the go-ahead run to ignite a five-run 13th inning in Philadelphia's 6-1 triumph on Monday.

Although the Phillies reside 5 1/2 games out of first place, Atlanta hasn't done itself any favors by dropping eight of its last 13 contests. Evan Gattis continued his torrid stretch by extending his career-high hitting streak to 16 games, setting a Braves franchise record for a catcher. Gattis, who singled to lead off the seventh in the series opener, is 15-for-33 in his last eight contests against Philadelphia with six home runs and 11 RBIs.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLBN, CSN (Philadelphia), SportSouth (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Kyle Kendrick (2-6, 4.09 ERA) vs. Braves RH Ervin Santana (5-3, 4.09)

Kendrick followed two sub-par performances by allowing two runs on seven hits in six innings to pick up the win versus San Diego on Thursday. The 29-year-old did not walk a batter after issuing a season-high five free passes in his previous outing and 26 on the campaign. Kendrick owns an impressive 7-2 career mark versus the Braves but settled for a no-decision in his last encounter despite yielding three runs on four hits in six frames.

Santana permitted six runs for the third time in his last five starts to take the loss versus Colorado on Thursday. The 31-year-old Dominican has fared well in two career starts against the Phillies, posting a 1-0 mark with a 0.69 ERA while limiting them to a .140 batting average. Santana allowed one run on four hits and struck out 11 in six innings but settled for a no-decision in his last meeting with Philadelphia.

WALK-OFFS

1. Philadelphia SS Jimmy Rollins is riding an 11-game hitting streak but is 0-for-5 with three strikeouts versus Santana.

2. Atlanta RHP David Carpenter exited Monday's game with discomfort in his right bicep. He is day-to-day.

3. The Phillies placed OF Tony Gwynn Jr. on the bereavement list after his Hall-of-Fame father died on Monday. OF Aaron Altherr, who flied out to end the 12th inning, was recalled from Double-A Reading to take Gwynn's spot on the roster.

PREDICTION: Braves 4, Phillies 1