Atlanta Braves (71-67) at Houston Astros (67-71), 8:05 p.m.
Sports Network | September 9, 2009
(Sports Network) - Precocious right-hander Tommy Hanson can reach double digits in wins and keep the Atlanta playoff hopes flickering tonight when the Braves visit the Houston Astros for the middle test of a three-game set at Minute Maid Park.
Atlanta won Tuesday's opener, 2-1, after getting seven scoreless innings from veteran starter Javier Vazquez, who struck out nine batters to surpass 200 for the third consecutive season.
Adam LaRoche and Nate McLouth each hit solo homers for the Braves, who'd lost three straight to Cincinnati over the weekend and five in a row overall. They are eight games behind Philadelphia in the National League's East Division and 7 1/2 games in back of Colorado in pursuit of the NL's Wild Card berth.
Meanwhile, Vazquez was the only Atlanta player with more than one hit in the contest, as he went 2-for-3 at the plate.
Felipe Paulino (2-8) lasted six frames, allowing two runs on four hits with six strikeouts and three walks to take the loss for Houston.
The 25-year-old, who had made 13 starts and six relief appearances this season, hasn't won since a June 27 interleague defeat of the Detroit Tigers.
Hunter Pence went 2-for-4 and drove in the lone for the Astros, who were coming off a four-game sweep of the Phillies.
Meanwhile, Hanson, who turned 23 last month, has failed in two straight chances at win No. 10, dropping a 2-1 decision at Philadelphia and getting a no-decision in an Atlanta loss to Florida.
His last win came August 22 against the Marlins, when he allowed four hits and three runs in seven innings of a 4-3 triumph.
Now 3-2 in eight road outings, Hanson has never faced the Astros.
For Houston, unheralded lefty Wandy Rodriguez can add to an already career- best win total.
The 30-year-old Mexican export earned No. 13 in his last start on Sept. 4, besting the Phillies, 7-0, with seven innings of scoreless ball in which he allowed seven hits, walked none and struck out seven.
His previous high win total had come in his rookie season of 2005, when he was 10-10. He'd subsequently won nine games in each of three seasons before returning to double figures in 2009.
Rodriguez, who got a no-decision in Houston's 7-5 win in Atlanta on May 3, is 2-1 against the Braves in six lifetime matchups with a 5.79 earned run average in 28 innings.
He is 8-2 in 13 home starts this year and the Astros are 17-11 in games he's pitched.
Houston took two of three from the Braves earlier in the season.
