Nothing went right for the Braves to open the 2012 season, as Atlanta started 0-4, hitting just .165 as a team while scoring only 10 runs (2.5 per). However, Saturday’s 3-2 win was the team’s fifth straight and its 10th in 11 games, with the Braves batting a collective .293 with 77 runs scored (7.0 per). However, the Braves lost 6-4 on Sunday at Arizona, as they couldn’t overcome Arizona’s five-run second inning (highlighted by a Gerardo Parra grand slam). Ian Kennedy has now won NINE consecutive decisions for Arizona, going 16-1 over his last 19 regular season starts, post July 4th of last year (team is 17-2 in those 19 games). The Braves won’t be facing an Ian Kennedy-type here, as the Dodgers will start Chris Capuano. Then again, Capuano is seeking a third straight quality start, as he takes the hill for the fourth time in 2012. Capuano had his ups and downs while with the Brewers but few can forget that the left-hander went from May 7, 2007 to July 19, 2010 between wins. In that time (he missed all of 2008 & 2009 with an injury), he had made 19 starts without earning a win, going 0-13. The fact that Capuano has made it back to the majors is quite a story. He gave up two runs over six innings at Milwaukee on Wednesday, a game LA eventually lost 3-2 in 10 innings. He’s 1-0 with 4.50 ERA in three starts (team is 2-1) in 2012 and does own a solid 4-3 record with a 2.82 ERA lifetime against Atlanta in all appearances (he’s 4-2 with a 2.60 ERA in eight starts / teams are 4-4). That said, the Braves lead the NL in runs scored with 91 (trailing only Texas which has 94), or an average of 5.69 per game. The Dodgers have opened the 2012 season 6-0 at home and will try to win their first seven home games for just the second time since moving to Southern California (the Dodgers opened 13-0 at home in 2009). The Dodgers are hitting a modest .248 as a team but have averaged 4.83 RPG here at home. They’ll face Jair Jurrjens, who was 10-3 with a 2.07 ERA on June 25 last year but has won just THREE times since! Jurrjens has yet to earn a win in three 2012 starts and that’s hardly a surprise, considering he has failed to last longer than five innings in any of his three outings, while surrendering five HRs in just 13.1 innings. He’s allowed 21 hits and 12 ERs in that span (has nine walks compared to just eight Ks) for an ERA of 8.10, as opponents have hit .362!. Jurrjens has only one loss in his three 2012 starts, as the Braves have plated 10 and 14 runs in each of his last two starts. I’d LOVE to see that again, although I’m not quite THAT optimistic. I am however, going over this very low total.

Good luck...Larry