Braves hope to stop skid vs. Giants
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(SportsNetwork.com) - The Atlanta Braves have won each of Julio Teheran's last five starts and look to make it six Saturday in the middle portion of a three- game series versus the San Francisco Giants.
Teheran is 2-0 with a 1.22 earned run average in his last five appearances and has been reached for one run over the past three starts (24 innings). He did not record a decision in Sunday's 1-0 win over Cincinnati even though he tossed eight scoreless innings, struck out five and walked two.
The Colombian right-hander has won both of his career starts against the Giants and will make his fourth start at home. The Braves lead the majors with a 2.66 earned run average.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Countering Teheran for the Giants will be Ryan Vogelsong.
Vogelsong is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in five starts this season and did not factor in the outcome of a 4-1 win over Cleveland on Sunday, when he struck out six and walked two over seven shutout innings. He lasted just 1 1/3 innings and gave up five runs in an 8-2 loss at Colorado on April 21.
The right-hander has made four appearances (3 starts) in his career against Atlanta, going 1-1 with 4.50 ERA.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}San Francisco recorded a 2-1 win in Friday's opener thanks to Angel Pagan's leadoff homer in the first inning and a solo shot from Michael Morse in the top of the sixth. Morse had two of the Giants' eight hits.
The Giants have homered in nine straight games, their longest such streak since Sept. 23-Oct. 3, 2010 when the club homered in 10 straight games, and are 13-1 when scoring first.
Tim Lincecum started for the Giants and the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner allowed a run and six hits in six innings.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I was just trying to get in a good rhythm," Lincecum said. "Today it turned out pretty good."
Jeremy Affeldt, Santiago Casilla and Sergio Romo combined to throw three scoreless innings of relief with Romo picking up his eighth save.
San Francisco will also visit Pittsburgh and Los Angeles on this lengthy 10- game road trip, the first of two this season.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Braves have now lost a season-high four straight games since winning four in a row, and Mike Minor's season debut was a respectable one. Minor was slowed by both a urinary tract procedure and left shoulder tendinitis, and went 13-9 with a 3.21 earned run average in 32 starts last season.
Before Minor took the mound at Turner Field last night, he made five rehabilitation appearances (4 starts) and completed a bullpen session Tuesday in Miami. Two of the seven hits he allowed Friday were homers by Pagan and Morse, and Minor lasted six innings with four K's and no walks.
"He gave up a couple of solo home runs, but other than that he threw the ball really well for his first time out," Braves catcher Gerald Laird said of Minor. "If he continues to pitch like that all year, he's going to win a lot of games."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Freddie Freeman drove in the lone run for Atlanta and Jason Heyward collected three hits in defeat. Heyward has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games. Chris Johnson was 0-for-4 and earlier received a three-year contract extension that will keep the third baseman in Atlanta through at least the 2017 season.
Twenty-two of the Braves' 28 games this season have been decided by three runs or less. Atlanta, which is 9-4 at Turner Field, started a nine-game homestand Friday and will also host St. Louis and Chicago (Cubs).
San Francisco went 4-3 against Atlanta last season, but lost two of three at Turner Field from June 14-16.