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4/13 - Florida Marlins @ Atlanta Braves


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Starting Pitchers

 

 

 

Josh Johnson

1-0, 2.13 ERA

 

Last appearance:

4/07 vs WSH

6.0 IP, 1 ER

Dec = ND

 

 

 

 

 

Tim Hudson

2-0, 1.84 ERA

 

Last appearance:

4/08 vs PHI

7.2 IP, 2 ER

Dec = Win

 

The Atlanta Braves are searching for consistency already this season. Giving the ball to Tim Hudson at home versus the Florida Marlins seems to be a good way to start.

 

 

 

The Marlins' Josh Johnson may disagree.

 

Hudson will try to continue the Braves' domination of Florida at Turner Field when he takes the mound opposite Johnson on Wednesday night in a matchup of aces.

 

Atlanta (5-6) opened the season by winning three of four, but stumbled through a 1-5 stretch before opening this three-game set with a 5-0 win Tuesday.

 

The Braves will try to win consecutive games for just the second time in 2011, and Hudson (2-0, 1,84 ERA) will give them a good chance to do so, as the right-hander is in position to match his career-best 3-0 start in 2004 and 2007.

 

He struggled early Friday, allowing three runs and four hits through two innings, but settled down and scattered just four hits over the next 5 2/3 en route to a 6-3 win over Philadelphia and Cliff Lee.

 

"That's why he's a big-game pitcher," Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

 

In his last 18 home starts, Hudson has gone 12-4 with a 2.45 ERA, including a 1-1 record with a 2.14 ERA in three games against Florida. He yielded just two runs with 17 strikeouts in 13 innings over the last two outings versus the Marlins, both Atlanta victories.

 

The Braves have won eight of 10 at home against the Marlins, including six straight by a combined 34-13 score.

 

They showed some improvement at the plate Monday, getting nine hits with homers from Brian McCann and Jason Heyward as their season average jumped six points to .235.

 

Atlanta's bats, though, are likely to be in for a much tougher time against Johnson (1-0, 2.13), who is looking to begin 2-0 for the third time in four years.

 

Johnson continued his impressive start Thursday, but could have used more help in a 5-3, 11-inning loss to Washington. The right-hander allowed three runs -- one earned -- with six strikeouts in six innings while his teammates committed two errors.

 

"J.J. was throwing a great game," manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "He was outstanding, but we didn't play defense for him."

 

Johnson is 0-2 with a 2.12 ERA while fanning 41 in 29 2/3 innings over his last five starts against the Braves. He's been even better in his last four outings at Atlanta, compiling a 1.04 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 26 innings, but has gone only 1-0.

 

The Marlins come into this contest having been blanked for 17 consecutive innings while losing two straight. They went 20 innings without scoring from May 28-30, a stretch that includes being on the receiving end of a perfect game by Philadelphia's Roy Halladay.

 

Florida (5-5) also has gone 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position over the last two games, and is hitting .211 this season in the scenario.

 

"We've been struggling pretty much all season with runners in scoring position and (Monday) wasn't any different," Rodriguez said.

 

Hanley Ramirez went 0 for 4 Monday in his return from a left leg contusion. The All-Star shortstop is hitting .182 with two RBIs and three runs in 2011.

 

Still, Ramirez has a .379 average with four homers and 11 RBIs over his last 17 meetings with the Braves.

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