2012 MLB Standings: Braves 3 Back of Nationals In N.L. East

The Atlanta Braves have won eight of their last 10 games but still trail the Washington Nationals by three games in the N.L. East standings.

Kris Medlen Pitches Well As Atlanta Braves Win Series Finale Over Astros

The Braves could not afford to let another game get away from them with the last place Houston Astros in town. Thanks to a strong start from Kris Medlen and some timely hitting, Atlanta went on to win 6-1 to improve to 62-46 on the season.

Medlen worked 5.1 innings of one-run ball. He surrendered just five hits and two walks, striking out six. His ERA is now down to 2.37 for the season. The Braves' bullpen continued its good work, tossing the final 4.2 innings without allowing a run to score.

David Ross hit a solo homer in the second inning to give his club a 1-0 lead. Justin Maxwell doubled in the sixth against Cory Gearrin to tie it at 1-1. Atlanta mounted a nice rally in the bottom half of the frame, capped by a two-run single from Paul Janish. Chipper Jones then added an RBI-double down the left field line in the seventh inning to make it 5-1.

Michael Bourn added an insurance run in the eighth with an RBI-single to right. Cristhian Martinez entered in the ninth and sealed a victory, striking out two of the three batters he faced.

With the win, Atlanta ended their 10-game home stand with a very solid record of 8-2. They'll now hit the road for a three-game series with the Phillies. It'll be Ben Sheets and Vance Worley on the mound on Monday night.

For more on the Atlanta Braves head over to Talking Chop. For more news and notes on Major League Baseball check out Baseball Nation.

Chipper Jones Retirement: Yes, Chipper Jones Is Still Going To Retire, Per Chipper

Jonny Venters Injury: Braves Reliever Says He Is Available On Sunday

Braves reliever Jonny Venters hasn't pitched in nearly a week because of a sore elbow but says he is available on Sunday after reporting no problems in Saturday's bullpen session.

#Braves Venters said elbow was good yesterday in side session in 'pen, he's available today.

— David O'Brien (@ajcbraves) August 5, 2012

Venters has pitched only four innings since returning from a stint on the disabled list with inflammation in his elbow. Fredi Gonzalez has made a concerted effort to reduce the workload on Venters who appeared in 85 games for the Braves last season. Venters has 44 appearances this season and hasn't been nearly as effective as last year.

Could be interesting to see if Gonzalez turns to Venters on Sunday or if he decides to give him an additional day off after the bullpen session on Saturday.

For more on the Atlanta Braves head over to Talking Chop. For more news and notes on Major League Baseball check out Baseball Nation.

Jonny Venters Injury: Braves Reliever Has Sore Elbow

Braves reliever Jonny Venters hasn't pitched in about a week because of a sore elbow according to manager Fredi Gonzalez.

Astros Vs. Braves Sunday Lineups: David Ross In For Brian McCann

The Braves go for another series victory when they close out a three-game set with the Houston Astros on Sunday. Brian McCann will get Sunday afternoon's game off after catching Saturday night's game. David Ross will take his place behind the plate and bat seventh in the order.

Here is a look at the full lineups for Sunday' series finale between the Braves and the Astros:

Atlanta Braves

1. Michael Bourn CF
2. Martin Prado LF
3. Jason Heyward RF
4. Chipper Jones 3B
5. Freddie Freeman 1B
6. Dan Uggla 2B
7. David Ross C
8. Paul Janish SS
9. Kris Medlen P

Houston Astros

1. Jose Altuve 2B
2. Marwin Gonzalez SS
3. Brett Wallace 1B
4. Justin Maxwell CF
5. Scott Moore 3B
6. Steve Pearce LF
7. Brian Bogusevic RF
8. Carlos Corporan C
9. Bud Norris P

For more on the Atlanta Braves, check out Talking Chop. Houston Astros news can be found at From The Crawfish Boxes, and all your MLB news and info is available atBaseball Nation.

Astros Vs. Braves Sunday Time, TV, Radio Info And More

The Atlanta Braves look to bounce back from Saturday's setback against the Houston Astros with a series clinching win on Sunday. Kris Medlen will make his second start of the season for the Braves after picking up a win over the Marlins in his first start. Atlanta trails first place Washington by three games in the N.L. East division entering Sunday.

The Astros will counter with Bud Norris as the Astros try to win consecutive games for the first time since the end of June. Norris has lost seven consecutive decisions and is 5-8 with a 5.02 ERA on the season.

Game Date/Time: Sunday, August 5, 1:35 p.m. ET

Location: Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia

TV: Fox Sports South

Radio: 680 The Fan

Streaming: MLB.tv

For more on the Atlanta Braves, check out Talking Chop. Houston Astros news can be found at From The Crawfish Boxes, and all your MLB news and info is available atBaseball Nation.

Braves vs. Astros: Justin Maxwell Homers Twice To Defeat Atlanta, 3-2

Paul Maholm pitched very well in his Braves debut outside of two pitches. Unfortunately for him and Atlanta, those two pitches to Justin Maxwell were crushed a combined 800+ feet, propelling the Astros to a 3-2 win. The win for Houston was their fourth in 31 games, and first road win since mid-July.

Maholm tossed seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out eight. On the other side was Lucas Harrell, who worked six very strong innings. He scattered four hits and five walks, allowing just two runs to score.

Maxwell hit his first homer in the fourth inning. He took an inside, elevated fastball and turned on it nicely to make it 2-0. Dan Uggla tied the game in the bottom of the sixth with a two out, bases loaded single. Just minutes after Uggla tied it up, Maxwell smashed a hanging slider into the left field seats to make it 3-2.

The Braves went 1-2-3 in the seventh and eighth innings. Uggla was hit by a pitch in the ninth with one out, just to be erased quickly on a double play from Juan Francisco.

The two clubs will meet in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at 1:35 p.m.

Braves Vs. Astros Lineup: Houston Sending Lucas Harrell To Pitch Against Atlanta

The Houston Astros will be sending out Lucas Harrell to go out and pitch against the Atlanta Braves. Harrell has been one of the few bright spots for the Astros pitching staff and could cause some issues for the Braves. Since the All-Star break Harell has gone 1-1 in four starts but he has an ERA of 1.82. This will also be Harrell's first career start against the Braves.

Justin Maxwell is back in the lineup after getting the night off and he will bat fifth and play centerfield for the Astros. Also, Matt Downs returns to play third base, and he will be batting seventh.

1. Jose Altuve 2B
2. Marwin Gonzalez SS
3. Ben Francisco RF
4. Brett Wallace 1B
5. Justin Maxwell CF
6. J.D. Martinez LF
7. Matt Downs 3B
8. Chris Snyder C
9. Lucas Harrell P

Braves vs. Astros Lineups: Paul Maholm Makes Atlanta Debut

The Atlanta Braves acquired left-handed pitcher Paul Maholm to be a stabilizing force to the back-end of their starting rotation in August and September. Maholm will make his Braves debut on Saturday night against the lowly Astros, who have lost 27 of their last 30 games. That should help him break into his new digs in Atlanta.

Despite my plea to bench Dan Uggla for a few days, he remains in he starting lineup. Manager Fredi Gonzalez has decided to go with his normal lineup for tonight's game, which is given below.

Michael Bourn - CF
Martin Prado - LF
Jason Heyward - RF
Chipper Jones - 3B
Freddie Freeman - 1B
Brian McCann - C
Dan Uggla - 2B
Paul Janish - SS
Paul Maholm - P

First pitch from Turner Field is schedule for 7:10 p.m. this evening. It should be a great night for baseball in Atlanta.

For more on the Braves, check out Talking Chop.

Braves Should Make Temporary Change As Dan Uggla Struggles

Astros Vs. Braves Preview: Paul Maholm Makes His Turner Field Debut

Newly acquired left-handed hurler Paul Maholm will make his Atlanta Braves debut on Saturday night at Turner Field against the Houston Astros.

Maholm, who was acquired in a trade with the Chicago Cubs at the deadline, had a great month of July on the mound as he posted an ERA of 1.23 in five starts and a relief appearance. This season, Maholm has a record of 9-6 with an ERA of 3.74.

In his last 10 starts, the 30-year-old Maholm has a record of 5-1 with an ERA of 2.39.

The Braves opened their three-game weekend set with the Astros on Friday night and came away with the 4-1 victory. First pitch of Saturday's contest will be at 7:10 p.m. ET.

For more on the Atlanta Braves, check out Talking Chop. Houston Astros news can be found at From The Crawfish Boxes, and all your MLB news and info is available at Baseball Nation.

Astros Vs. Braves Final Score: Tim Hudson Masterful In 4-1 Win Over Houston

The Atlanta Braves got another solid pitching performance from Tim Hudson as they opened their three-game set with the Houston Astros with a 4-1 win at Turner Field. Hudson picked up his 11th win of the season by allowing no earned runs in 7 1/3 innings of work. Hudson allowed four hits while striking out three and walking two.

The Braves struck first in the third inning when Chipper Jones doubled home Martin Prado and Jason Heyward to give Atlanta a 2-0 lead against Houston starter Armando Galarraga. The Braves scored another run later in the inning when Dan Uggla reached on a play where Astros shortstop Marwin Gonzalez lost the ball in the nighttime sky. The play was ruled a double for Uggla and the Braves led 3-0. Martin Prado drove home the final run with a double of his own in the fourth inning.

Houston scored its lone run in the sixth inning when Ben Francisco scored on a groundout by J.D. Martinez. Francisco had previously reached base on an error by second baseman Dan Uggla.

Eric O'Flaherty and Craig Kimbrel retired the final five outs of the game with Kimbrel striking out the side in the ninth. With the win Atlanta cuts the Washington National's lead in the N.L. East down to just two games.

For more on the Atlanta Braves, check out Talking Chop. Houston Astros news can be found at From The Crawfish Boxes, and all your MLB news and info is available at Baseball Nation.

Braves vs. Astros Lineup: Tim Hudson Goes For Win No. 100 With Atlanta

Tim Hudson's time with the Atlanta Braves has been a huge success since the very beginning. Hudson has provided the Braves with a guy who will go out and battle every time he takes the mound, even if his body is hurting or fatigued. Given his talents on the diamond and all the work he does outside of baseball, it's tough to call his tenure anything but an absolute home run.

On Friday night against the lowly Astros, Hudson will go for his 100th win as a Brave. He has 191 wins in his career, 99 of which have come since joining Atlanta in 2005.

Here are the lineups for tonight's game:

Michael Bourn - CF
Martin Prado - LF
Jason Heyward - RF
Chipper Jones - 3B
Freddie Freeman - 1B
Brian McCann - C
Dan Uggla - 2B
Paul Janish - SS
Tim Hudson - P

The Astros are yet to release their lineup.

For more on the Atlanta Braves, check out Talking Chop. Houston Astros news can be found at From The Crawfish Boxes, and all your MLB news and info is available at Baseball Nation.

Braves Vs. Astros: Friday Game Preview, TV Info And More

Atlanta is within striking distance of the first place Washington Nationals at just 2.5 games back in the NL East, and will look to close that gap with a weekend home series against baseball's worst, club, the Houston Astros. The series - while only important to the Braves in terms of the playoffs - will close a somewhat historic run between the two clubs, as the Astros will move to the AL in 2013. The two clubs met five times in the NLDS, with Atlanta winning in 1997, '99 and 2001, and Houston winning in 2004-'05.

Date / Time: Friday, August 3

Location: Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia

TV: Peachtree TV, Fox Sports South

Radio: WNNX 100.5, WCNN 680

Probable Starters: Tim Hudson (10-4) vs. Armando Galarraga (0-0)

For more on the Atlanta Braves, check out Talking Chop. Houston Astros news can be found at From The Crawfish Boxes, and all your MLB news and info is available at Baseball Nation.

Braves vs. Astros: Atlanta Looks For Sweep Against Baseball's Worst Team

The Braves take on the Astros for three games this weekend. Houston enters with a record of 35-71, the worst mark in baseball.

2012 MLB Standings: Braves Still 2.5 Back Of Nationals

The Braves look to keep the pressure on the Nationals when they open a three-game set against the last place Astros Friday night at Turner Field.