SAN DIEGO — The surprising Atlanta Braves will aim for their fifth consecutive series win when they play the San Diego Padres on Thursday.
The final outing of the three-game series will match veteran Atlanta left-hander Jaime Garcia (2-5, 4.03 ERA) against rookie San Diego righty Dinelson Lamet (2-2, 6.60). The teams split the first two games, with the Padres winning 7-4 on Wednesday.
The Braves (37-40) sit in second place in the National League East despite missing All-Star infielder Freddie Freeman. He has been out since mid-May with a wrist injury, but the team is encouraged that he took batting practice on Wednesday.