Braves at Padres
The San Diego Padres kept their long home winning streak against Atlanta
intact with a frantic rally and aim to complete a three-game sweep when
they host the Braves in Wednesday's finale. The Padres pushed across
two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 4-3 victory Tuesday
to record their 12th consecutive win over the Braves at Petco Park.
Catcher Derek Norris hit a tying leadoff homer to start the ninth and Wil Myers delivered the game-winning single later in the inning as the Padres sent struggling Atlanta to its sixth straight overall loss. The Braves, who own the worst record in the majors at 16-42, haven't won a game in downtown San Diego since the 2012 season. Atlanta has been outscored 37-13 during its current losing streak and a loss Wednesday would leave the Braves with an 0-6 road trip against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Padres. San Diego is 5-2 as it concludes an eight-game homestand that began with executive chairman Ron Fowler calling the players "miserable failures" and was followed by the trade of starting pitcher James Shields to the Chicago White Sox.
TV: 3:40 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), FSN San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Julio Teheran (1-6, 2.92 ERA) vs. Padres LH Drew Pomeranz (5-5, 2.22)
Teheran has dropped back-to-back starts after putting together a string of solid outings. Though he picked up just one victory in a seven-start span, he compiled a 1.17 ERA and gave up just 31 hits in a 46-inning stretch. Teheran is 1-2 with a 4.55 ERA in five career starts against the Padres and has experienced major difficulties with Yangervis Solarte (5-for-6, home run).
Pomeranz was superb in his last outing when he struck out eight while blanking Colorado on two hits over seven innings. It was the second time in three starts that he gave up two hits over seven shutout innings, also doing so against San Francisco on May 23. Pomeranz has excelled at Petco Park with a 3-1 record and 0.73 ERA and .128 batting average against in four home starts this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Myers has multiple hits in four straight games and seven of the last nine and is 17-for-38 with three homers, four doubles, nine RBIs and nine runs scored during the stretch.
2. Atlanta RF Nick Markakis, who posted nine double-digit homer seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, has four total homers in 212 games and 820 at-bats since joining the Braves.
3. Norris is 10-for-27 with two homers and six RBIs over his last seven games to raise his average 29 points to .208.