Best of NL's East and West Set to Clash
Both the Atlanta Braves and the San Diego Padres have defied all logic and odds during the 2010 campaign.
At the beginning of the season, both clubs were expected to be contenders and have a winning season. But few people would have expected them to be in the position they're in now- both atop their respective divisions.
The two ball clubs will kick off a three-game series on Tuesday -- a series that could foreshadow October baseball.
Although the teams haven't seen one another since early April -- prior to separating themselves from the pack -- Braves pitcher Derek Lowe said San Diego’s staff is gaining quite a strong reputation around the league.
"It's very important," Lowe said about the outcome of the series. "It really is. We haven't seen them in a long time. When you think about them, you think about their pitching. Their pitching is fantastic. Not just their starters, but their bullpen and ERA. They're tough to score off. We're very confident in our starting pitching. It should be a great three-game pitchers' duel hopefully."
Lowe was also sure to credit his own staff, in particular Tuesday's right-handed starter, Jair Jurrjens.
Jurrjens, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2009, was exploited up by the Padres in a 17-2 loss on April 12. He surrendered eight runs over 3 1/3 frames in just his second start since returning from surgery.
"Jurrjens [2-3 with a 4.75 ERA] is not the same pitcher he was in April," Lowe said. "When JJ is on his game, he's as tough as it gets. The guy who pitched out in San Diego was hurt."
Game after game, the Braves pitching staff has been getting it done. Other pitchers have presumably been more spectacular on the mound, but very few have been more dependable leading up to the first half of the season.
But do not overlook the Braves at bats. Catcher, and All-Star MVP, Brian McCann has hit .385 since the break, including a grand slam and five RBIs in Sunday's 11-6 victory over the Brewers.
The Padres, who defeated the D-backs on Sunday for their fifth sweep of the season, will attempt to cool the sizzling McCann by sending left-hander Wade LeBlanc to the mound.
McCann’s blast during Sunday’s victory served as the spark the Braves needed as they managed to split the four-game series against the Brewers.
McCann had little success against left-handed pitchers and this was just his sixth homer against a southpaw since the start of the 2009 season and the second one this year.
Over his past four starts LeBlanc has not been particularly sharp, posting a 4.50 ERA with an 0-3 record.
If LeBlanc manages to survive against McCann, he will have to face Braves’ shortstop Alex Gonzalez who saw his hitting streak come to a haul for the first time since being acquired from the Blue Jays over the All-Star break.
He did not record a hit last game, but will be looking to continue his success at bat and begin a new one.
But LeBlanc does not have to carry the entire load. He has the luxury of relying on his offence to help out if he gets himself in trouble early in the game.
Over the past nine games, the Padres have tallied seven games with double-digit hits. San Diego is hitting at a .324 clip over the stretch, including 14 hits in Sunday's contest.
Knowing that his offence is rolling over teams as of lately, LeBlanc should be more relaxed at the mound and be more productive compared to his performance in the last couple of games.
Regardless, with the second half of the season underway, this match will be seen as a very important precursor to a potential post-season meeting.
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