Game 55: Pirates at Braves
By Kipper
@pghsportsforum
Game two of three versus the Braves in Atlanta.
Game preview:
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/201506...game_pk=414485
By Carlos Collazo / MLB.com
"Game 2 of Atlanta and Pittsburgh's three-game series at Turner Field pits two pitchers struggling with consistency of late, with Julio Teheran on the mound for the Braves on Saturday night against left-hander Jeff Locke for the Pirates.
Teheran saw mixed results in May, when he had three starts of allowing no more than one earned run and another three where he combined for 15 1/3 innings while allowing 17 earned runs. Collectively, the Pirates have just six hits off Teheran, but three of those have been for extra bases, including home runs by Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez.
Locke's 10 2/3-inning shutout streak ended during his last start, when he allowed seven runs over four innings to the Padres. He faces another challenge in Turner Field, where he's allowed nine runs in 9 2/3 innings in two starts. Locke's rotation spot is in jeopardy, as he has just one win in his last 8 starts with a 6.48 ERA.
Three things to know about this game
• Freddie Freeman entered this series on a power surge, hitting five home runs in a six-game span. With 10 by June 3, Freeman reached double-digit home runs quicker than ever in his career.
• Since May 9 to the start of this series, the Pirates owned the second-best batting average (.277) and second-best ERA (2.93) in the National League.
• With Locke on the mound and second baseman Jace Peterson dealing with a hand injury, the Braves plan to play Juan Uribe at second. Uribe has played 207 games at the keystone in his career, posting a .770 OPS while at the position.
Carlos Collazo is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs."