Pirates at Braves
Julio Teheran is the fifth starter in the Atlanta Braves' rotation, but his performance is making the decision on who to bump when Brandon Beachy returns from injury a difficult one for the NL East leaders. Teheran starts Wednesday’s homestand finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates having allowed three earned runs or fewer in his past seven starts. Atlanta lost Beachy to Tommy John surgery last season, but he is expected to return to the big leagues on June 18.
Wandy Rodriguez, who starts the finale for the Pirates, held the Braves to one hit in seven innings April 19 in Pittsburgh. The Pirates have dropped four of their past five, including Tuesday’s 5-4 10-inning loss. Atlanta rides a four-game winning streak into the finale, and its seven-game lead over Washington is the largest advantage by any division leader.
TV: 12:10 p.m. ET, Root Sports (Pittsburgh), SportSouth (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Wandy Rodriguez (6-3, 3.47 ERA) vs. Braves RH Julio Teheran (3-2, 3.71).
Rodriguez’s four-start winning streak ended Friday against Cincinnati, allowing two earned runs on five hits in seven innings. He allowed two homers in the loss and has surrendered 10 in 62 1/3 innings. Rodriguez has a 4-3 career mark with a 3.08 ERA in 13 games (12 starts) against Atlanta.
Teheran has pitched with far more confidence than he did during in-season call-ups the past two seasons. The 22-year-old went 2-2 with a 2.60 ERA and only five walks in five May starts. Teheran has pitched into the seventh inning four times in his past five starts, and his last start allowing more than three earned runs came in an April 18 loss at Pittsburgh.
WALK-OFFS
1. Atlanta CF B.J. Upton hit one homer with three RBIs in 68 May at-bats; he has two homers and four RBIs in 16 June at-bats.
2. Pittsburgh CF Andrew McCutchen has nine multi-hit games in his past 17 contests, hitting .348.
3. The Braves’ struggling trio of Upton, Jason Heyward and Dan Uggla combined to go 5-for-12 with four runs scored in Tuesday’s victory.