Atlanta @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 28, 2011 ) Atlanta 5, Seattle 4

THE STORY: The Atlanta Braves are a season-best 11 games over .500 and are after a road sweep when they face Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday. Beating Hernandez is never an easy chore, but the Braves have won seven of their last nine games and also possess the best road record (24-18) in the National League. Atlanta is 10-5 on the road in June. Seattle has lost six of its last eight games with Hernandez being the only starter to record a victory during the stretch. The Mariners have tallied just 23 runs over the last 10 games after losing 5-4 on Tuesday.

TV: 3:40 p.m. ET, SPSO, ROOT.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Derek Lowe (3-6, 4.33) vs. Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (8-6, 3.19)

Lowe has gone nine straight outings since last winning back on May 6. He has given up 13 earned runs and 23 hits in 16 innings over his last three outings, failing to make it through the sixth in any of them. Lowe allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings while losing to the San Diego Padres in his last outing. Ichiro Suzuki is batting .381 in 21 career at-bats against Lowe.

Hernandez has won four of his last six decisions and dominated the Florida Marlins in his last outing. He gave up one run and a season-low two hits in eight innings while striking out 10. Hernandez has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 11 of his 17 starts. Hernandez is 12-5 with a 2.70 ERA in 22 interleague starts but has never previously faced Atlanta.

ABOUT THE MARINERS (39-41): Ichiro Suzuki homered on the first pitch Tuesday for his first homer of the season. His previous homer occurred on Sept 11, 2010. The blast was Ichiro’s 33rd leadoff homer, tying him with Paul Molitor for ninth in baseball history. Ichiro had two hits to raise his interleague total to 275, most among active players. Jack Cust started for the first time since April 14 and had two RBIs and homered for just the third time this season. Catcher Miguel Olivo left Tuesday’s game with leg cramps. Olivo has started 49 of the last 57 games. Dustin Ackley has reached base in all 11 games since being recalled. Only Alvin Davis (47 games in 1984) has a longer streak at the start of a career in franchise history.

ABOUT THE BRAVES (46-35): Brian McCann has tormented the Mariners by going 7-for-9 in the first two games of the series. McCann is 12-for-21 in five career games against Seattle. The rest of the Braves have combined for just six hits the past two games. Closer Craig Kimbrel has struck out five of the six outs while recording saves on back-to-back nights. Kimbrel has 22 saves, the fourth most before the All-Star break by a rookie. Jonathan Papelbon had a record 26 prior to the break in 2006. Chipper Jones is hitless in 13 at-bats over the last three games. Atlanta sent reliever Jairo Asencio to Triple-A Gwinnett to open up room on the roster for Tommy Hanson, who was the winning pitcher in Tuesday’s game.

FINAL PITCH: Atlanta is 13-27 when the opponent scores first after rallying from a 3-0 deficit to win Tuesday’s contest. The Braves are 33-8 when they strike first.