San Francisco @ Atlanta preview
Turner Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 16, 2011 ) San Francisco 1, Atlanta 2
THE STORY: The Atlanta Braves have needed late heroics to take the first two games of their four-game series against the San Francisco Giants. With ace Jair Jurrjens returning from the disabled list, though, the National League wild card leaders hope to find a less stressful way to win. Jurrjens and host Atlanta will face San Francisco's Matt Cain in a matchup of two of the league's top righthanders Wednesday.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, CS Bay Area (San Francisco), SportSouth (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Matt Cain (9-9, 3.00 ERA) vs. Braves RH Jair Jurrjens (12-4, 2.63).
Cain has lost three straight starts, but he has been the victim of tough luck in the past two. The Giants haven't scored more than two runs in any of his last five outings and they have averaged only 3.03 runs in his 25 starts this season. Cain is 2-2 with a 4.03 ERA in five starts against the Braves. He has not faced them this season. Jurrjens will make his first start since Aug. 1 when he lost to the Nationals, then went on the disabled list with a strained right knee. The Braves hope the 25-year-old can return to the form he showed in starting the season 12-3 with a 1.87 ERA over his first 16 starts. In four starts against the Giants, Jurrjens is 2-2 with a 2.70 ERA. He has won his last two starts against San Francisco.
ABOUT THE GIANTS (66-57): The Giants had a four-game lead in the NL West on July 28, but they have lost 13 of 18 since to fall 3 1/2 games behind Arizona in the division and six games behind Atlanta in the wild-card race. Their NL-worst offense (3.4 runs per game) was the culprit Tuesday when it managed only five hits. One of the hits was a solo homer by Cody Ross - 27 of the Giants' last 28 home runs have been solo shots.
ABOUT THE BRAVES (72-51): Atlanta has extended its wild card lead to six games by winning the first two games of the series, but neither has come easily. Freddie Freeman's two-run single capped a three-run ninth in a 5-4 win Monday, and Martin Prado drove in the winning run in the 11th inning for a 2-1 win Tuesday. Atlanta has won 22 games in its last at-bat, the most in the majors.
FINAL PITCH: The Giants placed outfielder Carlos Beltran (strained right hand) and reliever Sergio Romo (right elbow inflammation) on the disabled list Tuesday, making them the 18th and 19th Giants players to go on the DL this season.