Atlanta Braves (83-52) vs. Miami Marlins (49-85) Game No. 136 September 1, 2013 Turner Field Atlanta, Ga. LHP Alex Wood (3-2, 2.27) vs. RHP Nathan Eovaldi (2-5, 3.76) TONIGHT’S GAME: The Braves and Marlins play the fonale of a three-game set, as the Braves play the sixth game of a nine-game homestand against Cleveland (3-0), Miami (2-0) and the New York Mets...These two clubs are meeting for the 15th of Braves vs. Marlins 18 meetings this season...Atlanta owns a 10-4 series lead in 2013 and the Braves lead the all-time series 196-138, includ- 2012 2013 All-Time ing 109-60 at Atlanta (5-3 this season)...LONG TIME, NO SEE (NOT): These clubs last met just three weeks ago (August Overall 14-4 10-4 196-138 9-11), when the Braves claimed two-of-three games at Turner Field, and will they will meet again in less than two weeks, when at Atlanta 7-2 5-3 109-60 the Braves visit Miami for a four-game set, September 9-12...SADDLE UP: Coming off a stretch in which the Braves had three at Turner Field --- --- 91-52 off days in a 12-day span, from August 15-26, Atlanta began a stretch on Tuesday in which it has just two scheduled off days in its at Miami 7-2 5-1 87-78 fi nal 34 calendar days of the 2013 campaign (32 games in that stretch). at Marlins Park --- --- 12-3 ROSTER MOVE: With roster expansion today, the Braves today selectd RHP Freddy Garcia from Triple-A Gwinnett ...Acquired on 8/23 from Baltimore in exchange for cash considerations, Garcia was assigned to Gwinnett...This season he Winning Ways at Home posted a combined Triple-A record of 8-4 with a 3.56 ERA in 14 starts between Norfolk and Gwinnett...He went 3-5 with Major League leaders in home winning percentage: 5.77 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) for Baltimore this season and was outrighted to Norfolk in late June...Garcia has made 370 Major Team G W-L PCT League appearances, including 354 starts, over 15 seasons. 1. ATLANTA BRAVES 67 49-18 .731 4 x 4: 3B Chris Johnson and CF B.J. Upton both posted a four-hit game last night...Upton provided the game-winning 2. Pittsburgh Pirates 69 45-24 .652 hit in the bottom of the 11th inning (his second walk-off hit of the season) and had his second four-hit game of the year (also 3. Boston Red Sox 68 44-24 .647 4. Cincinnati Reds 64 41-23 .641 8/7 at WSH)...JOHNSON BACK ON TOP: Chris Johnson’s four-hit game last night lifted his batting average to an NL- 5. Tampa & Detroit 70 44-26 .629 best .331...Johnson leads the Braves with 43 multi-hit games on the year. RISPY BUSINESS: On this homestand Braves pitchers have held the Indians and Marlins to a combined 2-for-25 All-Time Save Percentage Leaders with runners in scoring position...It has continued a dominant stretch of pitching in that spot for Atlanta, which has led the The all-time career leaders in save percentage (minimum majors by holding opponents to a .176 batting average with RISP since July 26 (a stretch of 33 games). 100 save opportunities): WINNING SEASON: The Braves posted their 82nd victory of the season on Friday, giving them their 21st winning Player Saves Opps Pct. campaign in the last 23 years (since 1991)...The Braves went 94-68 last season and earned a postseason as the top NL Wild 1. Eric Gagne 187 204 91.7 Card team...31 OVER: The Braves are a seson-high 31 games over .500...This is the most games over .500 they have been 2. JOHN SMOLTZ 154 169 91.1 since October 2, 2004, when they were 96-65...The last time they were as many as 32 games over .500 was at the end of the 3. CRAIG KIMBREL 132 146 90.4 Joe Nathan 336 373 90.1 2003 campaign, when they fi nished with a 101-61 record (40 games over .500). 5. Mariano Rivera 647 725 89.2 A 20-WIN MONTH: Last night’s win gave Atlanta a 20-7 record in the month of August...The last time the Braves Longest Braves Save Streaks posted a 20-win month was May 2010, when they went 20-8...PICK SIX: The Braves enter tonight’s game with a six -game The longest consecutive save streaks in Braves franchise winning streak...This is their fi fth winning streak this season of fi ve-or-more games...Besides this one, the Braves have had history: winning streaks of 14 games (7/26-8/9), 10 games (4/5-16), eight games (5/17-25) and fi ve games (6/1-5)...According to the Player Saves Year(s) Elias Sports Bureau, Atlanta is only the second team in the last 35 seasons (since 1979) to notch two double-digit winning 1. Craig Kimbrel 33 May ‘13 - present streaks in the same season...The other team to do it in that span was the 2001 St. Louis Cardinals. 2. John Smoltz 27 Aug. ‘02 - May ‘03 WINNING THE CLOSE ONES: Atlanta is 21-42 this season when scoring three-or-fewer runs in a game, but the 3. John Smoltz 25 June ‘02 - July ‘02 Braves have bucked that trend on this homestand and are undefeated despite scoring three-or-fewer runs in four of the fi ve Craig Kimbrel 25 June ‘11 - Sept. ‘11 games...They won all three games over Cleveland with scores of 2-0, 3-2 and 3-1, then earned a 2-1 win Friday over Miami. BRAVES OF LATE: The Braves have won six straight games and have gone 12-7 since having a 14-game winning Comeback Kids streak snapped on August 10 by MIA...Atlanta is 27-8 over its last 35 contests...The Braves enter tonight’s action a season- Most come-from-behind wins in the majors in 2013: Club Comeback Wins high 31 games over .500...Atlanta is 29-11 since the All-Star break...The Braves went 20-7 in the month of August, 15-11 in 1. Texas Rangers 42 July, 16-12 in June, 15-13 in May and 17-9 in April...IN THE STANDINGS: The Braves have spent an MLB-high 153 2. ATLANTA BRAVES 40 days in fi rst place this season, and have had a lead of at least four games since May 21, including a lead of 10-plus games 3. Arizona Diamondbacks 38 since July 30...DOUBLE-DIGIT LEAD: The Braves entered today’s action with a 15-game lead in the NL East division... 4. Kansas City Royals 36 This season marks the fi rst time since the end of the 2002 season that the Braves have had that large of a margin in the division Last Chance Success standings...The 2002 Braves fi nished the year with a 19-game lead in the NL East. Most fi nal at-bat wins in the majors in 2013: VARVARO EARNS FIRST RESCUE: RHP Anthony Varvaro worked two innings scoreless inning Friday night Club Wins in Final AB to nail down the Braves’ 2-1 victory over the Marlins...According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Varvaro was the fi rst Braves 1. Arizona Diamondbacks 30 pitcher to earn a save by protecting a one-run lead in both the eighth and ninth innings since 2005, when Chris Reitsma closed 2. ATLANTA BRAVES 22 3. Kansas City Royals 20 out a win for John Smoltz with a six-out save. Boston Red Sox 20 BETHANCOURT EARNS SL HONORS: Mississippi Braves (AA) catcher Christian Bethancourt was named 5. Cleveland Indians 19 Friday to the 2013 Southern League Postseason All-Star Team...Selections were voted on by the league’s fi eld managers, radio broadcasters and print media...Bethancourt, 21, owns a .279 batting average in 88 games for the M-Braves this season, Mighty Pen Men including 21 doubles, 12 home runs and 45 RBI...He strung together a 40-game on-base streak from June 13 through August Where Braves relievers rank among all NL bullpens: 14...Earlier this season, Bethancourt was selected as a Southern League Mid-Season All-Star and was named to the 15th an- Category Statistic Rank nual SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game World Roster for the second-consecutive season...The Panamanian entered the 2013 ERA 2.38 1st* season ranked as the third-best prospect and the Best Defensive Catcher in the Atlanta Braves system, according to Baseball Opp. Batting Average .215 1st* America...He was signed by the Atlanta Braves as a free agent on March 12, 2008. Fewest Homers Allowed 21 1st* BACKSTOP WITH POP: C Brian McCann clubbed a three-run homer in Thursday’s 3-1 win over Cleveland... Fewest Hits Allowed 299 1st* Fewest Walks Allowed 137 3rd Since he made his season debut on May 6, McCann’s 19 homers lead all Major League backstops...Houston’s Jason Castro Saves 46 1st is second, with 16, followed by Baltimore’s Matt Wieters, with 15. * leads the majors HOMER DIFFERENCE: The Braves have clobbered 156 homers on the year, while the pitching staff has limited opposing batters to 105 homers, which ranks second in MLB in HR differential at 51 (Detroit has a difference of 52).