Maholm, Braves try to finish off sweep of Marlins

Lefty Paul Maholm can reach double-digit wins for the third time in his career on Wednesday afternoon when the Atlanta Braves try to close out a three-game sweep of the hosting Miami Marlins.

The 31-year-old Mississippi native, a first-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2003, was a 10-game winner with the Pirates in 29 starts in 2007.

He didn't top more than nine wins over the subsequent four seasons with Pittsburgh, then split 2012 between the Braves and the Chicago Cubs, winning 13 times in 32 appearances.

Maholm was 9-6 though his initial 17 starts of 2013 with the Braves before dropping a 5-4 decision at Philadelphia in his most recent outing on July 5.

He is 6-5 in 12 career starts against the Marlins with a 3.87 ERA in 74 1/3 innings.

Miami opposes Maholm with 22-year-old righty Jacob Turner, who makes his eighth start of the season and 21st of his career.

The former first-round pick was 2-6 in 13 appearances prior to this season with the Marlins and Detroit Tigers, then won two of his first six starts in 2013 - including a 7-1 defeat of San Diego on June 29 in which he allowed a run on seven hits in a complete-game effort.

He followed it up with a 4-1 loss at St. Louis in his most recent start on July 5, when he gave up four runs on seven hits in six innings.

Turner lost his lone career start against the Braves after surrendering four runs on six hits in six innings, with three walks and five strikeouts.

On Tuesday, Justin Upton went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and two RBI while Julio Teheran pitched into the eighth inning to carry the Braves past the Marlins, 6-4.

Teheran (7-4) allowed seven hits and four runs, though only one was earned, over 7 1/3 innings to earn the victory.

Brian McCann knocked in a pair of runs for Atlanta, which had lost four of five before surviving Monday's opener, 7-1, in 14 innings.

Rob Brantly belted a three-run homer in the loss, Miami's fifth straight after taking two of three in Atlanta last week.

Henderson Alvarez (0-1) surrendered eight hits and five runs in his six-inning start. One of the runs was unearned, but the error belonged to Alvarez.

"He really had to work out there," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said.

The Braves won four of the first six games against the Marlins this season in April and July - sweeping a three-game series in Miami and winning one of three in Atlanta.