A successful western trip could help give the Atlanta Braves the momentum they need to surpass the .500 mark once again.
In a matchup of aces, the Braves look for a third straight victory Friday night against the surging St. Louis Cardinals at Turner Field.
7:35 PM ET, April 29, 2011
Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia
After dropping three of four at Dodger Stadium, Atlanta (13-13) averaged 6.0 runs while winning five of six at San Francisco and San Diego to finish 6-4 on the trip and reach .500 for the first time since April 8. The Braves have not been over .500 since they were 3-2 on April 5.
"It takes time for everybody to find a groove," catcher Brian McCann told the Braves' official website. "Things are starting to come together for us now."
The Braves hope things stay that way against St. Louis (14-11), which has won 12 of the last 17 overall and seven of its last 11 games in Atlanta.
Starting Pitchers
St. Louis: Carpenter (0-2, 3.90 ERA)
Atlanta: Hudson (3-2, 3.57 ERA)
Chipper Jones is 8 for 24 with nine RBIs over his last six games, and moved ahead of Mickey Mantle into second place among switch-hitters with 1,512 RBIs after he drove in three in Wednesday's 7-0 win over the Padres.
"It's gratifying," said Jones, whose parents idolized Mantle. "I look at the numbers as me just going out and doing my job. That's the way I've always approached it. I never really thought about my place or anything like that."
Jones is 3 for 8 with a double against scheduled St. Louis starter Chris Carpenter (0-2, 3.90 ERA), who will try a sixth time for his first victory of the season.
Though Carpenter is winless in 2011 and 1-2 with an 8.27 ERA in four starts at Turner Field, he has allowed just two runs and seven hits over 13 innings while not factoring in the decision of his last two outings.
The right-hander yielded those runs with two hits in six innings, but the bullpen was unable to hold a one-run lead in a 5-3 loss to Cincinnati on Saturday.
Born less than three months after Carpenter in 1975, Braves' scheduled starter Tim Hudson (3-2, 3.57) is just 1-2 with a 6.50 ERA at home against the Cardinals.
However, the right-hander came within one out of a complete game when he allowed two runs in a 5-2 win over Tim Lincecum and San Francisco on Saturday.
"I'm not a guy who takes a lot of pride in complete games," Hudson said.
Lance Berkman is 4 for 8 with two doubles versus Hudson, and 18 for 31 with nine RBIs his last eight games for the NL Central-leading Cardinals. He recorded his seventh straight multi-hit game with two homers and five RBIs in Thursday's 11-7 win at Houston.
Matt Holliday, 6 for 16 against Hudson, had two hits Thursday to raise his average to .433. Albert Pujols is batting just .258 this season, but is 12 for 26 with three homers versus Hudson.
The Cardinals have hit .357 and averaged 8.1 runs while winning eight of 11 on the road.
"We've got some weapons," manager Tony La Russa said. "They do some really good things, like work every at-bat and stay relentless. And the veterans are really the guys that are leading the way, Matt, Albert (Pujols) and Lance. That's how they built their careers."
In a matchup of aces, the Braves look for a third straight victory Friday night against the surging St. Louis Cardinals at Turner Field.
7:35 PM ET, April 29, 2011
Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia
After dropping three of four at Dodger Stadium, Atlanta (13-13) averaged 6.0 runs while winning five of six at San Francisco and San Diego to finish 6-4 on the trip and reach .500 for the first time since April 8. The Braves have not been over .500 since they were 3-2 on April 5.
"It takes time for everybody to find a groove," catcher Brian McCann told the Braves' official website. "Things are starting to come together for us now."
The Braves hope things stay that way against St. Louis (14-11), which has won 12 of the last 17 overall and seven of its last 11 games in Atlanta.
Starting Pitchers
St. Louis: Carpenter (0-2, 3.90 ERA)
Atlanta: Hudson (3-2, 3.57 ERA)
Chipper Jones is 8 for 24 with nine RBIs over his last six games, and moved ahead of Mickey Mantle into second place among switch-hitters with 1,512 RBIs after he drove in three in Wednesday's 7-0 win over the Padres.
"It's gratifying," said Jones, whose parents idolized Mantle. "I look at the numbers as me just going out and doing my job. That's the way I've always approached it. I never really thought about my place or anything like that."
Jones is 3 for 8 with a double against scheduled St. Louis starter Chris Carpenter (0-2, 3.90 ERA), who will try a sixth time for his first victory of the season.
Though Carpenter is winless in 2011 and 1-2 with an 8.27 ERA in four starts at Turner Field, he has allowed just two runs and seven hits over 13 innings while not factoring in the decision of his last two outings.
The right-hander yielded those runs with two hits in six innings, but the bullpen was unable to hold a one-run lead in a 5-3 loss to Cincinnati on Saturday.
Born less than three months after Carpenter in 1975, Braves' scheduled starter Tim Hudson (3-2, 3.57) is just 1-2 with a 6.50 ERA at home against the Cardinals.
However, the right-hander came within one out of a complete game when he allowed two runs in a 5-2 win over Tim Lincecum and San Francisco on Saturday.
"I'm not a guy who takes a lot of pride in complete games," Hudson said.
Lance Berkman is 4 for 8 with two doubles versus Hudson, and 18 for 31 with nine RBIs his last eight games for the NL Central-leading Cardinals. He recorded his seventh straight multi-hit game with two homers and five RBIs in Thursday's 11-7 win at Houston.
Matt Holliday, 6 for 16 against Hudson, had two hits Thursday to raise his average to .433. Albert Pujols is batting just .258 this season, but is 12 for 26 with three homers versus Hudson.
The Cardinals have hit .357 and averaged 8.1 runs while winning eight of 11 on the road.
"We've got some weapons," manager Tony La Russa said. "They do some really good things, like work every at-bat and stay relentless. And the veterans are really the guys that are leading the way, Matt, Albert (Pujols) and Lance. That's how they built their careers."