Giants at Braves
Alen Hanson had all of 14 at-bats this season entering the series, but the San Francisco Giants fill-in second baseman has led a huge offensive uprising coming into the final game of a weekend set Sunday at the Atlanta Braves. The 25-year-old Hanson, who came into the series 3-for-14 with three RBIs, has four hits and five RBIs through the opening two games as the Giants - winners of 10 in their last 13 contests - have scored 20 runs with 31 hits in a pair of dominating victories.
The Giants did not know if Andrew McCutchen would be able to play after he was hit on the left elbow by a pitch Wednesday, but the veteran outfielder collected a hit Friday then followed up with three hits and two runs scored in Saturday’s 11-2 triumph. There have been few positives for the Braves this weekend, after coming home from a 7-3 road trip in first place in the National League East. Right fielder Nick Markakis extended his hitting streak to 12 games by going 3-for-4 Saturday, and is hitting .458 with only one strikeout during his surge. The series wraps up with an intriguing pitching matchup, as San Francisco’s Andrew Suarez (the team’s 10th-ranked prospect by MLB.com) makes his third major-league start against Atlanta’s Mike Soroka, who is the Braves’ third-ranked prospect and made his big-league debut last Tuesday.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco), FS South (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Andrew Suarez (0-1, 4.38 ERA) vs. Braves RH Mike Soroka (1-0, 1.50)
Suarez already has been recalled twice from Triple-A Sacramento due to a rash of injuries that have hit the Giants rotation, going 2-0 with a 1.16 ERA in four minor-league starts. The 25-year-old pitched well in a no-decision Tuesday against San Diego, allowing two runs on four hits with five strikeouts in seven innings. Suarez, who lost his major-league debut April 11 against Arizona, only has walked one hitter in 12 1/3 innings with 12 strikeouts.
Soroka came up to make a spot start Tuesday in New York as Atlanta wanted to give Julio Teheran an extra day of rest and still are waiting on Anibal Sanchez to recover from a hamstring injury. The 20-year-old did not disappoint, holding the Mets to one run on six hits with no walks and five strikeouts over six innings to earn another start. Soroka made four starts for Triple-A Gwinnett to start the season, going 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA and five walks with 24 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Atlanta 2B Ozzie Albies doubled and scored in the first inning Saturday, and is 16-for-32 in the opening inning this season with three doubles, one triple, five homers and 12 runs scored.
2. Giants 3B Evan Longoria recorded his 1,500th career hit with a bloop double in the third inning Saturday.
3. Atlanta RHP Lucas Sims, recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett earlier Saturday, struck out six while allowing two runs in 3 2/3 innings of relief.