Al DeMarco
Saturday's Play
5 Dime - Atlanta Braves
When Atlanta cut Tom Glavine loose in favor of adding Tommy Hanson to the rotation, there was some immediate second-guessing after the 23-year-old rookie was hit hard in his first start against Milwaukee, a game in which he served up three homers and allowed six earned runs in six innings. But, Hanson has proven his worth and mettle repeatedly since, going 5-0 with a 2.14 ERA in his next seven starts, including 2-0 with a 2.66 earned run average in four road outings.
Hanson's mound opponent tonight, Yovani Gallardo, is 0-3 with a 5.09 ERA in his last four starts, a stretch in which he's allowed 39 baserunners in 23 innings. He will face an Atlanta team that's not only won 11 of 15, but one that has batted .316 and averaged 6.3 runs a game while going 7-2 since the All Star break.
Gallardo has pitched well in the past against Atlanta, going 1-0 with a 1.20 ERA in two previous outings. But considering his recent struggles, and Milwaukee's 6-13 swoon in July, taking a hot Atlanta team with a quickly maturing rookie hurler in Hanson as a slight road underdog is a wise investment strategy.
Paid & confirmed by Cork, Ironhorse & me
GL!