Atlanta @ Florida preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 19, 2011 ) Atlanta 5, Florida 6

THE STORY: The Atlanta Braves are struggling to hold onto the National League wild card lead, but face a favorable matchup when they visit the Florida Marlins on Tuesday in the second of a three-game series. The Braves, who are 6-12 since Sept. 1, lead the St. Louis Cardinals by 2 1/2 games. On Monday, the Braves failed to hold a lead with two outs in the ninth inning. Florida has suddenly refused to play a patsy for the Braves, who have beaten the Marlins 11 of 16 times overall and won six of seven times in Florida. Florida sends out righthander Anibal Sanchez, who has had trouble with the Braves.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), FS Florida

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Randall Delgado (0-1, 3.24 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Anibal Sanchez (8-8, 3.62).

Only the lack of run support has prevented Delgado from getting more attention. He has allowed only one run in three of his last four starts, but has received a no-decision in each case. Opponents are batting only .204 against Delgado, who gave up four hits and one run in five innings in his last start against the Marlins on Sept. 14. The Braves would like to see Delgado pitch deeper into the game, but that isn’t an issue with the expanded rosters. Sanchez is 1-2 over his last five starts with a 1.96 ERA, a stretch that includes a one-hit shutout win against Pittsburgh. He quietly ranks sixth in the National League in strikeouts (191), even though he has had only two games with double-digit strikeouts. Sanchez is 0-2 with a 12.15 ERA in two starts against the Braves - he was knocked out after allowing five runs in 1 2/3 innings against the Braves on Aug. 10. He is 4-9 with a 5.09 ERA in 15 career starts against Atlanta.

ABOUT THE BRAVES (87-67): After blowing a ninth-inning lead Monday, the Braves are 62-4 when leading after eight innings. Dan Uggla hit his career-best 35th home run on Monday, which gave Atlanta 60 homers in the seventh inning or later, a major league best. Jason Heyward continues to show signs of life - he has been on base seven times over his last 10 plate appearances and Monday hit his 14th home run.

ABOUT THE MARLINS (70-84): Florida improved to 4-59 when trailing after eight innings after Omar Infante's two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth gave the Marlins a 6-5 victory. Emilio Bonifacio needs two steals to become the club’s first 40-base thief since Hanley Ramirez in 2007. Infante has hit safely in 39-of-49 games since the All-Star break. Clay Hensley has won the last three games in which he has appeared, allowing no runs over five innings.

FINAL PITCH: Atlanta starter Tommy Hanson threw a 25-pitch session Monday and the club will see how he feels afterward to decide the next step. The club has said it wouldn’t put Hanson on the playoff roster unless he was able to make an appearance with the big league team before the end of the season.