While the Atlanta Braves are scrambling to stay in the National League playoff race, they can help knock another contender out of the picture this weekend. The Braves have a chance to bolster their hopes and help unclutter the race when they begin a four-game road series against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday. The reeling Reds have dropped five straight and eight of nine to fall five games below .500 and 6 1/2 games out of the second NL wild card.
The Braves are slipping out of the NL East race as red-hot Washington pulls away, but they're still just 1 1/2 games behind San Francisco for the second wild card. Atlanta might be haunted by Wednesday's loss in which it took a 2-0 lead into the eighth inning but lost 3-2 at Pittsburgh, snapping a five-game winning streak. The Reds, who are 32-29 at Great American Ball Park, are eager to get back home after wrapping up a 1-6 road trip to Colorado and St. Louis with a 7-3 defeat against the Cardinals.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, SportSouth (Atlanta), FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Julio Teheran (11-9, 3.06 ERA) vs. Reds LH David Holmberg (0-0, 16.88)
Teheran shut down a potent Oakland lineup last time out, limiting the Athletics to two runs over six innings to snap a three-start losing streak. The 23-year-old Colombian has struggled away from home, going 6-7 with a 4.27 ERA in 13 road starts. Teheran is 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA in two starts against the Reds, but he tossed eight scoreless innings of three-hit ball in a no-decision against them April 27.
Holmberg will get the call from Triple-A Louisville to make his third big-league start and his second of the season. The 23-year-old's Reds' debut was a rough one, as he was tagged for five runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings July 8 against the Chicago Cubs. Holmberg has not made it out of the fourth inning in either of his major-league outings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cincinnati is 18-31 in one-run games with two of its major league-high 31 one-run defeats coming in a three-game sweep at Atlanta from April 25-27.
2. Braves LF Justin Upton is hitting .378 during an 11-game hitting streak.
3. Reds CF Billy Hamilton, who is 11-for-32 during a seven-game hitting streak, is 2-for-12 against the Braves this season.