San Diego @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 15, 2012 ) San Diego 1, Atlanta 6

At the very least, the Atlanta Braves are starting to build a cushion in the National League wild-card race. Wednesday’s victory over the San Diego Padres improved the Braves’ mark to 26-10 since July 4. The Braves, who play three huge games at Washington next week, trail the Nationals by 4 1/2 games in the NL East but hold the top wild-card spot by four games. Despite losing the past two nights, San Diego has won seven of its past 10 and has played well after a brutal first three months.

San Diego sends Jason Marquis to the mound for the series finale. A former Atlanta hurler, Marquis fired a complete-game two-hitter against Pittsburgh in his last start. Marquis seeks his sixth win in his past seven starts. The Braves will send Kris Medlen out for his fourth start. Due in part to the good work by Medlen in his first three starts, Atlanta plans to employ a six-man rotation for the final two weeks of August.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports San Diego (San Diego), SportSouth (Atlanta).

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Jason Marquis (8-10, 5.05 ERA) vs. Braves RH Kris Medlen (3-1, 2.28).

Marquis dominated the Pirates in his previous start, allowing just the two hits with one walk and four strikeouts. The right-hander is 5-1 since the All-Star break and has walked just eight hitters and recorded 26 strikeouts in 40 innings. Opposing hitters are batting just .216 off Marquis in the second half, after hitting .314 before the All-Star break.

Medlen is 2-0 with a 1.62 ERA in three starts since moving into the rotation. He beat the Mets in his last start Saturday, allowing five hits and one earned run with one walk and seven strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Medlen has 16 strikeouts with just four walks in 16 2/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Part of the focus for the Padres on Thursday will be off the field. On the agenda for Thursday’s quarterly ownership meeting is the sale of the team to a group headed by local businessman Ron Fowler.

2. Atlanta LF Martin Prado hit .211 in his first 26 games after the All-Star break, but is 9-for-17 (.529) in his past four games with two doubles, a triple, a homer and six RBIs.

3. Marquis made his major-league debut with the Braves at Turner Field on June 6, 2000. He is 6-6 with a 3.66 ERA in 13 starts for the Padres after going 2-4 with an 8.47 ERA in seven starts for Minnesota.