8/8: Braves @ Dodgers Game Preview

August 8, 2009 - 10:10 (SportSouth)
Braves (56-54) vs. Dodgers (67-43)
@


Kenshin Kawakami
(5-9, 4.38 ERA, 46 BB, 80 K, 1.39 WHIP)
Career vs. Dodgers: First start
vs.

Clayton Kershaw
(8-6, 2.89 ERA, 71 BB, 123 K, 1.27 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: First start

Braves vs. Kershaw:
Ryan Church: 2 PA, 0-2
Adam LaRoche: 2 PA, 0-1
Nate McLouth: 2 PA, 0-1, RBI

Dodgers vs. Kawakami:
None

What to Look For:
Clayton Kershaw's control. Command issues come along with being 21 years old and in the major leagues. He leads the league in walks but has managed to keep the ERA low due to his immense talent. Kershaw will either pitch eight shutout innings or give up five walks and four runs in four innings. But I think we know what to expect from Kenshin Kawakami: five or six innings, at least three runs, and at least three walks.

Season Series: 2-3 (Last Game: 8/7, W 9-5)

Stat to Consider:
Clayton Kershaw: 71 BB, 123 K

Braves 9, Dodgers 5 (12 Innings)

If you're going to lose a game like Thursday night's, it's a good idea to come back with a win like last night's, if just for the sake of the fans who stay up that late, like me. The Braves won in 12 innings, 9-5.

Yunel Escobar (AP - Mark Avery)

Ryan Church started the scoring in the second with an RBI single, which was matched by an RBI single from Orlando Hudson in the home half. A double play brought home a run for the Braves in the third, and a double play did the same for the Dodgers in the fourth. A big blow came in the fifth when Eric Cooper signaled strike three to Andre Ethier yet didn't call him out. Brian McCann had thrown Rafael Furcal out on the play, but Ethier walked so that put two on. This led to Bobby Cox and Jair Jurrjens' ejections and eventually led to a three-run home run for Casey Blake, putting the Dodgers ahead by three.

Luck was on the Braves' side when Chad Billingsley was forced out of the game again with more hamstring problems, coming in the seventh inning. The Braves took advantage of the Dodger pen as Kelly Johnson hit a two-run homer to cut the lead to one. After Johnson popped out with runners on second and third in the eighth, Garret Anderson singled in the tying run in the ninth off Jonathan Broxton.

The score remained tied until the 12th, when Yunel Escobar singled in the go-ahead run. Church added a three-run home run to break it open.

Jair Jurrjens: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Mike Gonzalez: 2 IP, H, 2 BB
Peter Moylan: W (4-2), 1 IP, H, 2 BB
Rafael Soriano: 1 IP, K

Jurrjens again struggled against the Dodgers, giving up at least one baserunner in every inning and giving up hits in every inning but the first. This time he walked a few and couldn't keep the ball in the zone, throwing 94 pitches over just 4.1 innings. Kris Medlen and Manny Acosta each pitched 1.2 scoreless innings ahead of Mike Gonzalez, who pitched two scoreless innings to keep the Braves tied. Peter Moylan and Rafael Soriano closed it up.

Ryan Church: 3-5, HR, 4 RBI
Yunel Escobar: 3-5, RBI
Kelly Johnson: HR, 2 RBI

Church had a heckuva game, bringing home the first run of the game and bringing home the last three a good four hours later. Escobar drove in the go-ahead run in the 12th. Johnson cut the lead to one with a two-run homer. Anderson had two hits and the tying run with two outs in the ninth. The lone starter without a hit was Adam LaRoche, who went 0-5 with three strikeouts.

Notable Dodgers:
Chad Billingsley: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Casey Blake: 3-6, HR, 3 RBI

Notable Stat:
Braves are 50-12 when scoring 4+ runs.

Next Game:
8/8: @ Dodgers, 10:10 (Kenshin Kawakami vs. Clayton Kershaw)

8/7: Braves @ Dodgers Game Preview

August 7, 2009 -10:10 (SportSouth)
Braves (55-54) vs. Dodgers (67-42)
@


Jair Jurrjens
(9-8, 2.85 ERA, 50 BB, 98 K, 1.24 WHIP)
Career vs. Dodgers: 2-1, 3.00 ERA in 3 starts
vs.

Chad Billingsley
(11-6, 3.82 ERA, 63 BB, 140 K, 1.28 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 1-2, 4.34 ERA in 3 starts, 5 total games

Braves vs. Billingsley:
Ryan Church: 12 PA, 1-9
Chipper Jones: 9 PA, 1-7
Brian McCann: 9 PA, 1-6, HR
Yunel Escobar: 6 PA, 2-6, 3 RBI
Adam LaRoche: 6 PA, 2-6, 2 HR, 5 RBI

Dodgers vs. Jurrjens:
Andre Ethier: 9 PA, 3-5
Orlando Hudson: 9 PA, 2-6, HR, 2 RBI
James Loney: 9 PA, 3-9
Russell Martin: 9 PA, 4-9, HR
Matt Kemp: 6 PA, 2-6, HR, 3 RBI

What to Look For:
How the Braves respond to last night's game and whether they can touch Chad Billingsley. The young Dodger pitched five shutout innings in his previous start against the Braves before being pulled due to injury. Also, Jair Jurrjens struggled in his previous start against the Dodgers and is looking to rebound.

Stat to Consider:
Jair Jurrjens in one career start at Dodger Stadium: 6 IP, 5 H, ER, 6 K

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John Smoltz DFA'd

John Smoltz has been DFA'd by the Red Sox. I hate to say I told you so because that would not be nice, but neither was Smoltz's reaction to being let go by the Braves. So I told you so.

Maybe he will now realize he's not any good anymore and needs to retire like his sane former teammate, Greg Maddux. And what's up with Tom Glavine? Has he come to his senses yet?

Dodgers 5, Braves 4

I mean, what do the Braves have to do to win a game? Why can't they win a big game? Why do I bother staying up past 1:30 in the morning to watch this team?

8/6: Braves @ Dodgers Game Preview

August 6, 2009 -10:10 (SportSouth)
Braves (55-53) vs. Dodgers (66-42)
@


Derek Lowe
(11-7, 4.21 ERA, 43 BB, 72 K, 1.39 WHIP)
Career vs. Dodgers: 1-1, 3.60 ERA in 3 starts
vs.

Randy Wolf
(5-6, 3.47 ERA, 39 BB, 106 K, 1.18 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 4-12, 5.32 ERA in 24 starts, 26 total games

Braves vs. Wolf:
Chipper Jones: 60 PA, 17-47, 3 HR, 9 RBI
Adam LaRoche: 16 PA, 4-14, HR, 2 RBI
Matt Diaz: 14 PA, 5-10, 3 RBI
Nate McLouth: 10 PA, 3-9
Brian McCann: 8 PA, 4-5, HR, 4 RBI

Dodgers vs. Lowe:
Orlando Hudson: 41 PA, 11-36, 2 RBI
Mark Loretta: 24 PA, 4-22
Juan Pierre: 20 PA, 3-19, 4 RBI
Rafael Furcal: 17 PA, 5-13, HR, 3 RBI
Manny Ramirez: 15 PA, 2-12, 2 RBI
Casey Blake: 14 PA, 4-12, 4 RBI

Team Standings:
Braves: 3rd NL East, 7 GB; 4th Wild Card, 5 GB
Dodgers: 1st NL West

Season Series:
1-2 (Last Game: 8/2, L 9-1)

What to Look For:
It will more than likely be another close matchup between these two. Both starters allowed three runs in six innings in their previous starts against each other, with the Braves winning 4-3. It was the Braves' only win of the series. The Dodgers are coming off a disappointing series loss to the Brewers.

Stat to Consider:
Randy Wolf is 11th in the league in WHIP.

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Braves Sign Mike Minor

The Braves signed Mike Minor, their first round pick. The Braves are apparently in love with the guy, agreeing to the $2.42MM bonus months ago. But the commish's office advised the Braves not to sign him yet to prevent any troubles the Reds might have with signing Mike Leake below them.

The bonus they are giving Minor is well above the recommended number given by the commish's office and is the highest amount ever given to a #7 pick. Hopefully he's worth it.

8/6-8/9: Braves @ Dodgers Series Preview

@
Atlanta Braves (55-53, 3rd NL East)
vs.
Los Angeles Dodgers (66-42, 1st NL West)

The Braves wrap up a short West Coast trip with a tough four-game series against the Dodgers.

(2009 stats followed by career stats vs. opposing team)
8/6 - 10:10
Derek Lowe (11-7, 4.21 ERA...1-1, 3.60 ERA in 3 starts)
vs.
Randy Wolf (5-6, 3.47 ERA...4-12, 5.32 ERA in 24 starts, 26 total games)

These two matched up back on August 1st and it was a very even affair, with both going six innings and allowing three runs in a 4-3 Braves win.

8/7 - 10:10
Jair Jurrjens (9-8, 2.85 ERA...2-1, 3.00 ERA in 3 starts)
vs.
Chad Billingsley (11-6, 3.82 ERA...1-2, 4.34 ERA in 3 starts, 5 total games)

As was the case with Lowe and Wolf, these two faced each other in their most recent starts. Jair Jurrjens allowed four runs in five innings due to too many pitches left up in the zone. Chad Billingsley pitched five shutout innings before leaving due to landing awkwardly on his knee during a pitch. He argued his case for staying in but was pulled, evidently meaning it won't be any problem for him in this game.

8/8 - 10:10
Kenshin Kawakami (5-9, 4.38 ERA)
vs.
Clayton Kershaw (8-6, 2.89 ERA)

Kenshin Kawakami continues to pitch his way out of the rotation with another ineffective start, giving up three runs in six innings in a 4-2 loss to the Padres. He now has nine losses on the season. The 21-year-old Clayton Kershaw is one of the top young pitchers in the game, though he is coming off allowing three runs in four innings to the Brewers. His numbers remind me a lot of Jurrjens'.

8/9 - 4:10
Javier Vazquez (9-7, 2.99 ERA...4-6, 4.17 ERA in 14 starts)
vs.
Hiroki Kuroda (4-5, 4.44 ERA...1-1, 1.20 ERA in 2 starts)

Javier Vazquez had another solid outing against the Padres in his last start, allowing two runs on four hits over seven innings. Hiroki Kuroda has had outings similar to Kawakami, averaging around three runs allowed over six innings. However, he has solid control and makes the opposing team beat him with base hits.

For the key Dodgers relievers and hitters, check out the previous series preview between the two teams, posted on July 31.

Final Roundup (8/5)

The Braves remained 6.5 back of the Phillies as both teams won Wednesday. Only two teams on the farm played yesterday, and both Mississippi and Rome lost.

NL East Notables:
The Phillies shut out the Rockies, 7-0. J.A. Happ pitched a complete game shutout on four hits, walking two and striking out 10. Jayson Werth had a homer and three RBIs. Jimmy Rollins added a homer and two RBIs. The Phillies moved to six games ahead of the Marlins and remained 6.5 ahead of the Braves.

The Nationals took a second straight from the Marlins, 5-4. Cristian Guzman went 3-4 with an RBI. Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn, and Ronnie Belliard all had homers. John Lannan allowed two runs over six innings. For the Marlins, Dan Uggla picked up two hits, a homer, and three RBIs. Rick VandenHurk allowed five runs over four innings.

The Braves are in fifth at five games back in the Wild Card, with the Marlins a half game ahead. The Rockies and Giants continue to battle for first in the Wild Card, with the Giants currently ahead by a half game.

Notable Lines:
PHI - J.A. Happ: 9 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 10 K
PHI - Jayson Werth: HR, 3 RBI
WAS - John Lannan: 6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
WAS - Cristian Guzman: 3-4, 2B, 3B, RBI
FLA - Dan Uggla: 2-3, HR, 3 RBI
ATL - Tommy Hanson: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
ATL - Nate McLouth: 3-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI
NYM - Angel Pagan: 3-4, HR, 4 RBI
NYM - David Wright: 3-4, HR, 2 RBI

NL East Top Performer:

J.A. Happ
(9 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 10 K) vs. Rockies

Braves MiL Notables:
Notable Lines:
AA - Freddie Freeman: 1-3, 2B, RBI
AA - Ryne Reynoso: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 2 ER, BB, 5 K
A- - Omar Infante: 1-3, BB
A- - Julio Teheran: 5 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, BB, 8 K

Braves MiL Top Performer:
Julio Terehan
(5 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, BB, 8 K) vs. Savannah

Braves 6, Padres 2

The Braves did what they were expected to do, put away the Padres with a quick win and turn their sights on the Dodgers.

Nate McLouth (AP - Denis Poroy)

The Braves started the scoring in the first on an RBI single by Garret Anderson. Nate McLouth and Martin Prado drove in runs on a single and sac fly in the second inning. McLouth singled in a run and Brian McCann singled in two in the fourth for a six-run lead.

The offense went into hibernation after that, but the pitching staff had no trouble holding the lead. Tommy Hanson hit a wall in the sixth and was unable to record an out, giving up a two-run homer to Will Venable before being pulled.

Tommy Hanson: W (6-2), 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Peter Moylan: 1 IP, H, 2 K
Mike Gonzalez: 1 IP, H, 3 K
Rafael Soriano: 1 IP, BB, K

Hanson gave up just two hits in five shutout innings, but allowed two runs and three hits in the sixth inning. He did walk three but threw just 72 pitches. Peter Moylan, Mike Gonzalez, and Rafael Soriano all appeared with the four-run lead, and all had scoreless innings. Gonzalez struck out the side.

Nate McLouth: 3-5, 2 RBI
Brian McCann: 2 RBI
Martin Prado: 2-4, RBI

Every starter had a hit for the Braves, including three hits from McLouth and Chipper Jones. Along with the above mentioned, Anderson also recorded an RBI and Ryan Church added two hits. A day after tying their season high with 17 hits, the Braves put up 14 hits today.

Notable Padres:
Will Venable: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI

Notable Stat:
All 14 hits for the Braves were singles.

Next Game:
8/6: @ Dodgers, 10:10 (Derek Lowe vs. Randy Wolf)

8/5: Braves @ Padres Game Preview

August 5, 2009 - 3:35 (SportSouth)
Braves (54-53) vs. Padres (44-64)
@


Tommy Hanson
(5-2, 3.25 ERA, 26 BB, 41 K, 1.33 WHIP)
Career vs. Padres: First start
vs.

Chad Gaudin
(4-9, 4.76 ERA, 54 BB, 102 K, 1.47 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 0-0, 0.00 ERA in 2 games

Braves vs. Gaudin:
Garret Anderson: 19 PA, 2-17, HR

Padres vs. Hanson:
None

Team Standings:
Braves: 3rd NL East, 6.5 GB; 5th Wild Card, 5.5 GB
Padres: 5th NL West, 22.5 GB; 12th Wild Card, 16 GB

Season Series:
1-1 (Last Game: 8/4, W 9-2)

What to Look For:
The Braves have to win the rubber game to have any kind of confidence going to Los Angeles. Tommy Hanson must get back on track after losing his last two starts. For the Padres, what to watch for is Chad Gaudin's control. He walks a ton and he usually doesn't get past six innings as a result.

Stat to Consider:
Chad Gaudin's BAA at home: .295

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Church could return for Braves' finale

Final Roundup (8/4)

Providing a shortened roundup today. The Braves gained a game on the Phillies and Marlins and Gwinnett received a solid start in their win.

NL East Notables:
The Phillies lost to the Rockies, 8-3. Jimmy Rollins had a homer and two RBIs, but Jamie Moyer struggled, allowing six runs in five innings. The Phillies continue to sit five games ahead of the Marlins and are now 6.5 ahead of the Braves.

The Nationals beat the Marlins, 6-4, with six runs in the eighth inning. Josh Johnson had a shutout through seven but hit a wall in the eighth, allowing four runs. J.D. Martin gave up three runs in 4.1 innings for the Nationals. Adam Dunn hit a homer and drove in two.

The Braves sit 5.5 back in the Wild Card due to the Rockies beating the Phillies.

Braves MiL Notables:
AAA Gwinnett beat Columbus, 5-1. Todd Redmond pitched six shutout innings on two hits, walking four and striking out three. Reid Gorecki went 3-4 with an RBI. Van Pope went 2-3 with a homer.

A+ Myrtle Beach defeated Salem, 4-1. Cole Miles picked up two hits, a homer, and two RBIs. Gerardo Rodriguez added two hits and an RBI. Jacob Thompson allowed one run on seven hits in 5.2 innings.

Braves 9, Padres 2

Javier Vazquez pitched seven solid innings as the Braves ended their rough stretch with a 9-2 win.

Javier Vazquez (AP - Lenny Ignelzi)

As was the case last night, the two teams traded runs early. Will Venable hit a solo homer in the first to start the scoring. Adam LaRoche singled in a run in the second to tie it at one. The Braves took the lead in the fourth when Matt Diaz hit into a double play that scored a run. But Chase Headley doubled in a run in the home half of the fourth to tie it at two.

The difference between last night and tonight was the Braves kept hitting tonight. Martin Prado hit a solo homer in the fifth to put the Braves ahead for good. Diaz hit a two-run home run and Prado added two runs on a single in the sixth to bust it open. Garret Anderson singled in two in the eighth for insurance.

Javier Vazquez: W (9-7), 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Mike Gonzalez: 1 IP, 2 K
Boone Logan: 1 IP, BB

Vazquez earned his ninth win with another great outing, allowing just four hits and two runs on extra base hits. He left at 97 pitches and struck out six. Mike Gonzalez was perfect in the eighth, though he did have a nice seven-run lead.

Martin Prado: 3-5, HR, 3 RBI
Adam LaRoche: 4-4, RBI
Matt Diaz: HR, 2 RBI

The Braves had 17 hits along with nine runs, though only three were extra base hits and only one of those was a double. Everybody had a hit except Chipper Jones, who is now sitting at .282. Diaz actually grounded into three double plays and struck out once, but his one hit was a two-run homer into the little section that sticks out in right field. LaRoche continues to rake, going a perfect 4-4 and is 8-13 as a Brave.

Notable Padres:
Tim Stauffer: L (1-3), 5 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Notable Stat:
The Braves hit tonight.

Next Game:
8/5: @ Padres, 3:35 (Tommy Hanson vs. Chad Gaudin)

8/4: Braves @ Padres Game Preview

August 4, 2009 - 10:05 (SportSouth)
Braves (53-53) vs. Padres (44-63)
@


Javier Vazquez
(8-7, 3.01 ERA, 28 BB, 158 K, 1.05 WHIP)
Career vs. Padres: 3-4, 3.23 ERA in 15 starts
vs.

Tim Stauffer
(1-2, 2.57 ERA, 5 BB, 16 K, 1.05 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 0-0, 3.86 ERA in 1 start

Braves vs. Stauffer:
Chipper Jones: 3 PA, 0-2
Adam LaRoche: 3 PA, 3-3, 2 2B

Padres vs. Vazquez:
Henry Blanco: 19 PA, 4-17, HR, 3 RBI
David Eckstein: 16 PA, 1-14, RBI

Team Standings:
Braves: 3rd NL East, 7.5 GB; 6th WC, 5.5 GB
Padres: 5th NL West, 21.5; 12th WC, 15 GB

Season Series:
0-1 (Last Game: 8/3, L 4-2)

What to Look For:
Javier Vazquez takes the mound tonight against Tim Stauffer, who has made four starts for the Padres and has been solid thus far, including seven innings of one-run ball against the Reds in his last start. The Braves are looking to rebound from a terrible showing last night and get back on track. I'm looking for them to score more than two runs. The odds of these things happening are rather low.

Stat to Consider:
Tim Stauffer gave up one run on three hits in seven innings against the Marlins in his only home start. Through four starts, when he has allowed more than one run he has been tagged with a loss.

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Padres 4, Braves 2

I must admit the Braves fooled me. I swore to never get excited about the 2009 Braves after another false alarm in July, but it shames me to say the hot streak after the break got to me. But I promise to you now that it won't happen again.

Mat Latos (AP - Lenny Ignelzi)

The Braves and Padres traded runs through the first three innings. Brian McCann brought home a run in the first on a sac fly but a runner was left on third. The Padres answered in the home half on an RBI double by Kevin Kouzmanoff. The Braves took the lead back in the second on a solo homer by Adam LaRoche, but again the Padres answered in the home half on a solo homer by Kyle Blanks.

The crucial run came in the third when Will Venable singled in a run to break the tie. The two teams failed to hit anything after that, though the Padres did add an insurance run in the seventh due to horrible play by the Braves.

Kenshin Kawakami: L (5-9), 6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 4 K
Eric O' Flaherty: 0.2 IP, 2 H, ER, BB
Peter Moylan: 1.1 IP, K

Kenshin Kawakami didn't walk a single batter so I'm proud of him for that. However, I'm not proud of the fact that he couldn't hold a lead for more than two minutes. He gave up a boat load of hits and it cost him early, though he settled down to pitch six innings worth. Just another usual ineffective quality start for Kawakami. Eric O' Flaherty failed to cover first base on a grounder to first and it eventually cost him with an earned run.

Adam LaRoche: HR
Brian McCann: RBI

The Braves had six hits and they spread them out well. Problem is they were all singles except the LaRoche home run. I don't know how often they reached scoring position but it couldn't have been often.

Notable Padres:
Mat Latos: W (3-1), 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Will Venable: 3-4, RBI

Notable Stat:
Mike Adams, Heath Bell: Combined 4 K in 2 IP.

Next Game:
8/4: @ Padres, 10:05 (Javier Vazquez vs. Tim Stauffer)

8/3: Braves @ Padres Game Preview

August 3, 2009 - 10:05 (SportSouth)
Braves (53-52) vs. Padres (43-63)
@


Kenshin Kawakami
(5-8, 4.37 ERA, 46 BB, 76 K, 1.39 WHIP)
Career vs. Padres: First start
vs.

Mat Latos
(2-1, 2.70 ERA, 4 BB, 13 K, 0.78 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: First start

Braves vs. Latos:
None

Padres vs. Kawakami:
None

Team Standings:
Braves: 3rd NL East, 7 GB; 4th WC, 5 GB
Padres: 5th NL West, 22.5 GB; 11th WC, 15.5 GB

Season Series:
0-0

What to Look For:
Hotshot rookie Mat Latos is making his fourth career start for the Padres, and he has been very successful in his first three. He has been backed by solid play of late by the Padres, who have won five of their last six. The Padres are horrid on offense at home. Adrian Gonzalez is the only hitter worth noting. However you look at it, they are the Padres, and anything less than an easy series win will be a disappointment for the Braves.

Stat to Consider:
Braves have won 14 of last 17 against Padres.

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Braves' bullpen need could still be addressed

8/3-8/5: Braves @ Padres Series Preview

Atlanta Braves (53-52, 3rd NL East)
@
San Diego Padres (43-63, 5th NL West)

Coming off a disappointing series loss to the Dodgers, the Braves hit the road for seven games out West, starting with a three-game set against the Padres.

8/3 - 10:05
Kenshin Kawakami (5-8, 4.37 ERA)
vs.
Mat Latos (2-1, 2.70 ERA)

The first game of the series features the Braves pitcher struggling the most this season against a hot rookie pitcher for the Padres. Kenshin Kawakami had one of his worst starts of the season against the Marlins, allowing six runs in 4.2 innings in a 6-3 loss. He was on the verge of lowering his ERA below four, but that outing raised it up a lot. Kawakami is 3-4 with a 5.70 ERA in nine road starts. The 21-year-old Mat Latos has three starts under his belt, not giving up more than two runs in any of them and walking just four. Latos is ranked as the number two prospect in the Padres organization for 2009.

8/4 - 10:05
Javier Vazquez (8-7, 3.01 ERA...3-4, 3.23 ERA in 15 starts)
vs.
Tim Stauffer (1-2, 2.57 ERA...0-0, 3.86 ERA in 1 start)

Javier Vazquez had another solid start in his most recent outing against the Marlins, allowing three runs in 7.1 innings. He continues to sit behind Tim Lincecum in the strikeout category, currently at 158. He also ranks fourth in the league in WHIP at 1.05. Tim Stauffer has made four starts for the Padres this season, allowing a total of six runs in 21 innings. His most recent outing was seven innings of one-run ball against the Reds. Vazquez has plenty of experience with solid results against the Padres due to his days with the Diamondbacks.

8/5 - 3:35
Tommy Hanson (5-2, 3.25 ERA)
vs.
Chad Gaudin (4-9, 4.76 ERA...0-0, 0.00 in 2 games)

After Tommy Hanson lost his first career game two starts ago to the Brewers, he lost his second straight in his most recent outing to the Dodgers. He allowed four runs in six innings in a 5-0 loss. Chad Gaudin had a solid month of July, watching his ERA drop from 5.35 to 4.58. However, he only lasted 1.2 innings in his most recent outing, allowing seven runs, three earned. Gaudin records strikeouts but also walks a ton, as he is currently ranked sixth in the league with 54 base on balls and has a 1.47 WHIP.

Key Padres Relievers:
CL - Heath Bell (42.1 IP, 1.91 ERA, 26 SV...19 IP, 5.68 ERA, 3 BSV)
SU - Edward Mujica (56.1 IP, 3.04 ERA, 11 HLD)
MR - Luke Gregerson (47 IP, 3.06 ERA, 11 HLD)

Key Padres Hitters:
1B - Adrian Gonzalez (.250, 28 HR, 61 RBI....272, 5 HR, 13 RBI in 21 games)
3B - Kevin Kouzmanoff (.249, 14 HR, 58 RBI....317, HR, 10 RBI in 11 games)
LF - Chase Headley (.243, 9 HR, 37 RBI....400, HR, RBI in 3 games)

Key Padres Injuries:
RF - Brian Giles (60-day, knee contusion)
RF - Cliff Floyd (60-day, torn labrum in shoulder)
SP - Chris Young (60-day, shoulder inflammation)
C - Nick Hundley (15-day, wrist contusion)

Dodgers 9, Braves 1

Jair Jurrjens danced around trouble through four and it caught up to him in the fifth. It all went down the drain after that. The Braves now head West on a bad note.

Jair Jurrjens (AP - John Amis)

Jair Jurrjens: L (9-8), 5 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Kris Medlen: 2 IP, 3 H, ER, K

Jurrjens left the ball up the entire five innings he was in, though he was able to leave a ton on base through the first four. But it caught up to him in the fifth when Matt Kemp hit a three-run home run on an 0-2 fastball. Just one of those starts where he couldn't locate, and when he struggles with that it is always up in the zone. Kris Medlen allowed a run in two innings. Boone Logan allowed three runs in an inning. Manny Acosta allowed a run in the ninth.

Martin Prado: 2-4, RBI

The Braves struck out 11 times, including two each from Chipper Jones and Brian McCann. Adam LaRoche and Matt Diaz also struck out twice each, but both had a hit. The Braves wasted doubles in the first and third innings by Prado and Nate McLouth. The lone run came in the eighth on an RBI single by Prado.

Notable Dodgers:
Chad Billingsley: W (11-6), 5 IP, 2 H, BB, 9 K
Matt Kemp: 3-5, HR, 5 RBI

Notable Stat:
Dodgers had 19 hits and left 13 on base.

Next Game:
8/3: @ Padres, 10:05 (Kenshin Kawakami vs. Mat Latos)

8/2: Dodgers @ Braves Game Preview

August 2, 2009 - 8:10 (ESPN)
Dodgers (64-40) vs. Braves (53-51)
@


Chad Billingsley
(10-6, 3.96 ERA, 62 BB, 131 K, 1.31 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 0-2, 5.93 ERA in 2 starts, 4 total games
vs.

Jair Jurrjens
(9-7, 2.69 ERA, 48 BB, 93 K, 1.20 WHIP)
Career vs. Dodgers: 2-0, 1.38 ERA in 2 starts

Braves vs. Billingsley:
Ryan Church: 12 PA, 1-9
Chipper Jones: 7 PA, 1-5
Brian McCann: 7 PA, 1-4, HR
Garret Anderson: 6 PA, 2-4
Yunel Escobar: 6 PA, 2-6, 3 RBI
Adam LaRoche: 4 PA, 2-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI

Dodgers vs. Jurrjens:
Andre Ethier: 6 PA, 2-3
Orlando Hudson: 6 PA, 1-4, HR, 2 RBI
James Loney: 6 PA, 1-6, RBI
Russell Martin: 6 PA, 2-6, HR

Team Standings:
Dodgers: 1st NL West
Braves: 3rd NL East, 7 GB; 4th WC, 4 GB

Season Series:
1-1 (Last Game: 8/1, W 4-3

What to Look For:
Chad Billingsley vs. Jair Jurrjens. 25 years old vs. 23 years old. Both among the top young pitchers in the game. The Braves are catching Billingsley at a good time as he has struggled through July, watching his ERA rise over a full run. The Braves need to take advantage of his struggles, especially since the Phillies have already lost today.

Stat to Consider:
Jair Jurrjens in last 3 starts: 3-0, 1.75 ERA

MLB.com Gameday
STATS Preview
Rogers Blog
Hudson calls latest setback minor

Final Roundup (8/1)

The Phillies fell victim to the machine they call Tim Lincecum, putting the Braves back to seven behind in the division. However, it didn't help their Wild Card hunt. Gwinnett scored 15 runs in a win Saturday night.

NL East Notables:
The Phillies lost to the Giants, 2-0. Joe Blanton allowed two runs on seven hits in seven innings, not walking any and striking out five. Lincecum pitched eight shutout innings, striking out eight. The Phillies had seven hits but left eight on base. They remain six ahead of the Marlins and seven ahead of the Braves. The Braves are still four out in the Wild Card.

Notable Lines:
PHI - Joe Blanton: 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 5 K
ATL - Chipper Jones: 2-4, 2 RBI
WAS - Ryan Zimmerman: 3-4, RBI
NYM - Angel Pagan: 2-4, HR, 5 RBI
FLA - Jeremy Hermida: 3-6, 2 RBI
FLA - Emilio Bonifacio: 2-2, 2 RBI

NL East Top Performer:

Angel Pagan
LF - Mets
(2-4, HR, 5 RBI) vs. Diamondbacks

Braves MiL Notables:
AAA Gwinnett destroyed Columbus, 15-4. Alvin Colina went 3-4 with two homers and five RBIs. Reid Gorecki went 4-6 with two RBIs. Brooks Conrad, Brandon Jones, and J.C. Holt each drove in two. Chris Burke also had four hits and an RBI. The offense overshadowed a solid start for Jo-Jo Reyes, who pitched seven shutout innings on five hits.

Notable Lines:
AAA - Alvin Colina: 3-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI
AAA - Reid Gorecki: 4-6, 2 RBI
AAA - Chris Burke: 4-6, RBI
AAA - Jo-Jo Reyes: 7 IP, 5 H, BB, K
A- - Luis Sumoza: 4-4, 2 2B, 4 RBI
A- - Yoel Campusano: 2-3, 2 RBI
A- - Ramon Delgado: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 7 K
Rk - Chris Masters: 8 IP, 4 H, R, BB, 8 K

Braves MiL Top Performer:

Alvin Colina
C - AAA Gwinnett
(3-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI) vs. Columbus