Braves Baseball Beacon

The Atlanta Braves took both games of a doubleheader against Milwaukee Wednesday, boosting their record to 17 – 15 on the season and moving into sole possession of 3rd place in the National League East division. The Braves now trail the 1st place Phillies by 4.5 games. The Florida Marlins are in 2nd place in the division, one game behind Philadelphia. The Braves have been hot lately, winning eight of their last eleven games.

The Braves won game one Wednesday by a score of 8 – 3 behind the strong pitching of righty Tommy Hanson and a stellar day at the plate from Martin Prado. The Braves left fielder went 3 for 5, including a key infield single in the sixth inning that was the catalyst for a 4 run outburst by the Atlanta offense. Prado also scored two runs and notched 3 RBI for the game. Hanson struck out seven over six strong innings during which he threw 101 pitches. The Atlanta starter surrendered two runs, both earned, on three hits, walking only two Milwaukee hitters. Hanson has allowed only three earned runs in his last 20 innings pitched, lowering his Earned Run Average from 3.86 to 2.63.

Game two featured a spectacular one hit complete game effort from Atlanta righty Tim Hudson. The Braves starter struck out six Milwaukee hitters, surrendering only one walk, while throwing only 102 pitches, 74 of them for strikes. Rickie Weeks, the Brewers second baseman, was the only Milwaukee player to reach base, with a fourth inning double and a ninth inning base on balls. Hudson was electric, with great movement on all of his offerings, throwing 26 first pitch strikes while facing only 29 batters. The Braves spoiled the debut of Milwaukee’s much heralded acquisition Zack Greinke, scoring five runs, four earned, in four innings facing the 2009 AL Cy Young award winner. Greinke showed flashes of brilliance, striking out six and surrendering only one walk, but was victimized for five hits, including a two run homerun in the fourth inning by Nate McLouth. The Atlanta center fielder had a spectacular day, going 5 for 5 at the plate, scoring four runs and adding two RBI over both games for the day. McLouth has flourished since moving into the 8th position in the Atlanta batting order.

The two wins put the Braves in a position to sweep the four game series from Milwaukee heading into the finale tonight in Atlanta, having won the first game Monday night, before a Tuesday rainout forced the doubleheader Wednesday. The Braves head into a key three game series in Philadelphia beginning Friday night.