Dodgers and Braves Battle in Los Angeles: Game 2

Tommy Hanson and the National League East leading Atlanta Braves will face Chad Billingsley and the red-hot Los Angeles Dodgers in game number two of a 3 game series. Atlanta has taken the N.L. East by storm over the past month. Many analysts predicted the Phillies to run away with this division as they were the defending N.L. Champions. However, it just goes to show that baseball predictions don’t really matter.

The Braves have been shredding opposing pitchers over the last few weeks. Perhaps the biggest surprise offensively this season has been the resurgence of Troy Glaus. Glaus had been plagued by injuries since leaving the Angels. He has had several stops on his way to Atlanta, but is showing that he’s comfortable in his surroundings. His .283 average isn’t head turning, but he’s leading the team in homeruns and runs batted in. Along with Glaus, rookie sensation Jason Heyward is tied for the team lead with 10 bombs this year. Heyward is a smooth swinging lefty that has been highly touted for over a year. He’s living up to the hype thus far, and once he learns how to read opposing pitchers, he will become a perennial All-Star.

If you take Kenshin Kawakami from the equation, the Atlanta Braves have perhaps the best pitching staff in the Majors. Tim Hudson has been lights-out, and Derek Lowe is off to an 8-4 start. They will need to keep it going if they intent on holding off the Phils for the N.L. East title.

After a horrible 8-14 beginning to the 2010 baseball season, the Dodgers have turned things around. A 9 game winning streak in the middle of May has taken this team from the cellar of the N.L. West to alone in 2nd place. Everything has come together at the right time as their bats woke up at the same time their pitching staff did.

Andre Ethier was out for several days with an injury, but his .364 batting average shows that he is capable of leading this team as well as possibly winning a batting title. This years Dodgers isn’t just about power number like they were in 2009. They now understand how to manufacture runs by playing small-ball. The return of Rafael Furcal should help them on the base-paths, but it has been James Loney thus far that has put the Dodgers in position to score runs.

This should be a pitchers duel as 2 of the best young arms in the game go toe-to-toe Saturday at Dodger Stadium. Expect the winner of this series to carry momentum through the rest of June as this will be a major confidence booster.

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3. Reds and Dodgers Battle in National League Showdown
4. Angels and Dodgers Fight for Series Win Sunday
5. Dodgers and Cardinals Battle to Start Second Half

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