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Braves Vs. Cubs Series Preview: Jair Jurrjens Looks To Rebound In The Windy City

The Braves lost a series at home the last time these two clubs met. Will they lose the series again in Chicago? We have the breakdown inside.

By Scott Coleman

The Atlanta Braves are playing good baseball right now. The only team who might be playing be playing better baseball these last two weeks would be the Chicago Cubs. Isn't it funny how these things always work themselves out?

After losing two out of three last weekend in Atlanta, the Braves will head to Chicago to face the Cubs in a four-game series. Not too much has changed on the field for the club -- other then the Cubs no longer having a lunatic pitching every five days -- though the team has "dismissed' their awful GM Jim Hendry. Let's take a look at their team:

Dan Uggla's Nemesis: 

Darwin Barney

#15 / Second Base / Chicago Cubs

5-10

180

R

R

Nov 08, 1985

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG OBP SLG
2011 - Darwin Barney 110 413 55 122 17 5 2 36 16 46 7 2 .295 .330 .375

Would Dan Uggla's hitting streak still be going if it wasn't for Darwin Barney's great catch in the series finale August 14? Maybe. He has certainly continued hitting well enough to continue it. Unfortunately for both Uggla and the Braves, he ended that streak. 

Barney is a pesky young fellow. He may not hit for much power, steal many bases or make the highlight shows with flashy plays, but the guy hustles his butt off every game and is a pest to deal with in the plate. A guy who simply tries to put the ball in-play, the second baseman went 7-for-11 in his previous series against Atlanta and was all over the base paths. Keeping both he and Starlin Castro off the bases will go a long way in preventing runs to score.

Pitching Matchups:

Monday, 8:05EDT - Fox Sports South, PeachTree TV

W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP
2011 - Jair Jurrjens 12-5 21 21 2 1 0 0 139.2 126 46 44 11 37 86 2.84 1.17
W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP
2011 - Ryan Dempster 10-8 27 26 0 0 0 0 154.1 156 82 79 16 56 147 4.61 1.37

Tuesday, 8:05EDT - Fox Sports South, PeachTree TV

W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP
2011 - Mike Minor 3-2 9 9 0 0 0 0 50.2 58 24 24 0 19 46 4.26 1.52
W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP
2011 - Casey Coleman 2-5 13 10 0 0 0 0 46.0 64 39 38 5 30 35 7.43 2.04

Wednesday, 8:05EDT - Fox Sports South, PeachTree TV

W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP
2011 - Derek Lowe 8-11 27 27 0 0 0 0 150.1 167 81 79 9 55 108 4.73 1.48
W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP
2011 - Randy Wells 4-4 16 16 0 0 0 0 89.1 104 59 58 18 34 56 5.84 1.54

Thursday, 2:20EDT - SportSouth

W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP
2011 - Brandon Beachy 6-2 19 19 0 0 0 0 108.1 94 43 40 14 32 120 3.32 1.16
W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP
2011 - Matt Garza 6-9 24 24 1 0 0 0 146.2 138 70 59 11 51 151 3.62 1.29

Series Outlook:

The Cubs are pretty much out of the post-season races, but they are fighting for their pride and a chance to move up the standings before the season ends. They played the Braves tough in Atlanta and the team should expect no less in Chicago. The Braves should take three out of four, but a split would not surprise me. Chicago is playing good baseball right now.

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Photographs by coka_koehler used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.