The Milwaukee Brewers have never had an easy time scoring runs on the road against the Atlanta Braves, so the only way to compensate for that is with outstanding pitching.
That formula has been working well for the Brewers, who have a chance to sweep a series at Atlanta for the first time in their history when the teams conclude a three-game set Wednesday.Milwaukee (43-34) is 14-22 all-time at Atlanta, averaging just 3.72 runs per game. Four runs are all the Brewers have been able to muster in each of the first two games of this series, but they have held the Braves (38-41) to a total of four.
The starting pitching has been particularly strong for Milwaukee, with Ben Sheets and Dave Bush combining to hold Atlanta to two runs and a .143 opponent batting average in 16 innings. Bush gave up one run in seven innings of a 4-3 win on Tuesday that put the Brewers in position to sweep the Braves on the road for the first time.
Atlanta has been struggling at the plate in recent weeks at home, losing six of its last eight at Turner Field and scoring three runs or less in each of the losses.
Milwaukee, which has won four straight and eight of nine, will send Jeff Suppan (4-5, 3.92 ERA) to the mound.
Suppan's best start of the season was against the Braves. He gave up four hits while striking out seven in eight innings in a 1-0 win on May 28 to improve to 1-4 with a 5.53 ERA in five starts against them.
The veteran right-hander struggled in his last start, giving up six runs - three earned - and seven hits in 1 2-3 innings as Milwaukee lost 8-5 to Baltimore on Friday night. He went 2-1 with a 1.91 ERA in his previous five outings.
Braves slugger Chipper Jones is 7-for-10 against Suppan, but he isn't expected to start. Jones, batting a major league-best .393, has missed four straight games because of a strained right quadriceps.
Jones, though, has been available for pinch-hitting duty, singling to center in the eighth inning Tuesday for his second hit as a pinch-hitter since aggravating the injury on Friday night. Atlanta is 2-10 without Jones in the starting lineup.
The Braves went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position Tuesday.
"It's one game," Atlanta pitcher Charlie Morton told the team's official Web site. "Nobody likes to lose, but there are going to be days like this."
Omar Infante is expected to be back at third base in place of Jones on Wednesday, and will be playing behind starter Jorge Campillo (2-2, 2.54 ERA). Campillo is 2-2 with a 3.26 ERA in seven starts since being moved into the rotation.
The right-hander, though, labored through 6 1-3 innings in his last outing, giving up four runs and eight hits in Atlanta's 10-2 loss to Seattle on Friday night.
Campillo faced the Brewers for the first time in his career on May 29, allowing one run and four hits in five innings, earning a win as the Braves won 8-1.
