Atlanta @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 19, 2012 ) San Francisco 2, Atlanta 3

The San Francisco Giants completed their first three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium in five years on Wednesday, but they don’t have much time to celebrate. San Francisco returns home Thursday to begin a four-game series against the Atlanta Braves, who snapped their four-game losing streak Wednesday to move six games out of first in the National League East. The Giants are 2 1/2 games ahead of Los Angeles in the NL West, and they’re 5-2 since losing outfielder Melky Cabrera to a 50-game suspension. Center fielder Angel Pagan has led the Giants’ offense with Cabrera out, hitting .481 (13-for-27) with eight runs scored over his last six games.

Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, who will be playing his final regular-season series in San Francisco, has a .293 average, 23 homers and 86 RBIs in 114 games against the Giants. Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez rested catcher Brian McCann, second baseman Dan Uggla and outfielder Michael Bourn on Wednesday against the Nationals, but all three are expected to be back in the lineup for Thursday’s series opener. The Giants are optimistic that catcher Buster Posey and third baseman Pablo Sandoval will be available. Posey was scratched from the starting lineup Wednesday with a tight hamstring, and Sandoval left in the seventh inning after he tweaked his hamstring. Sandoval, who recently missed 18 games with a strained left hamstring, insisted after Wednesday's game that he won't miss any time.

TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, SS (Atlanta), CSNBA (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Tommy Hanson (12-5, 4.27 ERA) vs. Giants LH Barry Zito (9-8, 4.42)

Hanson allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings against the Dodgers last Friday in his first start since missing nearly a month with a back injury. He’s gone 2-0 with a 2.69 ERA in his last three starts, and he’s 8-2 with a 3.78 ERA in 12 road starts this season. Hanson is 2-0 with a 2.14 ERA in three career starts against San Francisco.

Zito has gone 1-1 with a 7.52 ERA through four starts in August, including last Saturday against the Padres when he allowed four runs in as many innings. He’s 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA in six career starts against the Braves, and he threw seven scoreless innings against them on July 17. Atlanta's Reed Johnson is 9-for-29 (.310) lifetime against Zito.

WALK-OFFS

1. Braves OF Jason Heyward is 11-for-24 (.458) with three homers and seven RBIs in six games at AT&T Park.

2. The Giants are 48-16 (.750) this season when they score the game’s first run.

3. McCann is 7-for-48 (.146) with no extra-base hits and one RBI in 15 games this month.