Paul Maholm tries to secure a third straight winning start on Monday afternoon when the Atlanta Braves play their second straight road game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Following today's game, the Braves will host the Blue Jays for two straight beginning on Wednesday.
Maholm's consecutive wins come after a 1-4 stretch and he was charged with just one unearned run over 7 1/3 innings of an 8-3 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday. All eight of Atlanta's runs were scored before the fifth inning, giving the left-hander a nice cushion to work with.
"Just mixing speeds," said Maholm on Atlanta's website of how he found success. "We put up some runs early and got ahead by eight in the fourth, so I just tried to mix speeds and get outs. (Backup catcher Evan Gattis) called a great game. We've worked well together."
Maholm improved to 6-4 with a 3.38 earned run average through 10 starts this season, but holds a 4.98 ERA over six road outings. The 30-year-old has split two previous starts versus the Blue Jays with a 3.21 ERA.
Maholm will try to reverse Atlanta's troubles in Toronto, where the club has lost nine of its last 11. The Braves came into Monday's opener having won eight of the last nine between the clubs -- all in Atlanta -- before suffering a 9-3 setback.
Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run homer and matched a career high with five RBI, while Colby Rasmus and J.P. Arencibia added two-run homers to lead the Blue Jays to their ninth victory in 14 games.
Mark Buehrle held the Braves to a run on five hits over six solid innings. The veteran left-hander walked two and struck out six, none bigger than Dan Uggla staring at strike three with two runners in scoring position to end the sixth.
Gattis launched a two-run homer in the eighth for Atlanta, which has lost two straight on the heels of an eight-game winning streak. Tim Hudson was tagged for six runs on eight hits and two walks in six frames.
"It was just not a very good night," Hudson admitted. "A night where I was battling a little bit with my delivery. My pitches weren't very crisp."
The Blue Jays hope to get a consistent outing from Brandon Morrow today, something the right-hander has struggled doing this season.
Morrow has yielded 11 runs, five homers and 17 hits over his last two starts, but has managed to split the two decisions. Offensive support helped him beat visiting Baltimore on Thursday even though he allowed six runs on 10 hits over seven-plus innings. Morrow allowed three home runs in the outing, but each was of the solo variety.
The 28-year-old is 2-3 with a 5.50 ERA in nine starts this season and will face the Braves for the first time.
Toronto third baseman Brett Lawrie is day-to-day after suffering a sprained left ankle while stealing a base in the sixth inning on Monday.
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