(Sports Network) - The resurgent Atlanta Braves will aim for a fourth consecutive victory as well as a weekend sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates when the teams conclude a three-game series this afternoon at Turner Field.
Atlanta came through with its sixth win in seven games last night, as Jeff Francoeur delivered a bases-loaded single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Braves a 5-4 decision over the pesky Pirates.
The Braves jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, but Pittsburgh drew even with a four-run seventh inning capped by Ryan Doumit's pinch-hit three-run homer off reliever Rafael Soriano.
Shawn Chacon (4-2) worked out of a bases-loaded jam for the Pirates in the bottom of the eighth but couldn't get out of the ninth unscathed. The Braves loaded the bases on Willie Harris' infield single and walks to Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones before Francoeur ripped a base hit to center.
Andruw Jones smacked a three-run homer in the first inning and is now 8-for-16 with three long balls over his last five games. Chipper Jones finished with three hits for Atlanta on the night.
Braves starter Chuck James threw six scoreless frames but was denied a win when relievers Tyler Yates and Soriano faltered in the seventh. Bob Wickman (2-2) picked up the victory after tossing a scoreless top of the ninth.
Atlanta, which enters today's play 1 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Mets in the NL East standings, can record its first three-game sweep of the Pirates at home since April 21-23, 2000. The Braves will look to accomplish the task behind journeyman Buddy Carlyle, who's provided a needed lift to the team's injury-plagued rotation as of late.
Carlyle put together two straight outstanding starts just prior to the All- Star break. The right-hander tossed seven innings of one-run ball to defeat Washington on June 26, then threw three shutout innings of relief at Florida on July 1. In his most recent start, Carlyle held San Diego to three runs over a career-high eight innings to lead Atlanta to a 7-4 victory on July 6.
This will be the first career appearance against Pittsburgh for Carlyle, who brings a 3-2 record and a 4.50 earned run average into today's tilt.
Workhorse Paul Maholm will take the mound for the Bucs in the finale. The left-hander has lasted at least seven innings in each of his last five starts and registered a 3-2 record with a solid 3.53 ERA over that span.
Maholm's last outing was a winning one, as he allowed four runs and just five hits over seven frames to defeat the Cubs on July 6.
The former first-round pick's only previous start against the Braves came last August at PNC Park. Maholm limited Atlanta to two runs and five hits in seven innings, but did not factor in the decision of a 3-2 Pirates' loss.
Today's matchup marks the final meeting between these clubs this season. Atlanta has won four of the five previous encounters in 2007.
