Fri May 30 10:44:10 2008

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Volquez battles Braves in Cincy

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(Sports Network) - Young right-hander Edinson Volquez returns to the mound as a starter tonight when the Cincinnati Reds open a three-game series with the visiting Atlanta Braves at Great American Ball Park.

Volquez, who made 10 straight starts to begin the season, was called on for some unlikely relief work on May 25 at San Diego, pitching 1 2/3 innings of the Reds' 18-inning loss to the Padres.

The 24-year-old was tagged with the loss in the outing after allowing a hit and three unearned runs, marking his first defeat since May 2 against the Braves.

In the loss at Atlanta, Volquez allowed four hits and an earned run in six innings. It is his lone career appearance against the Braves.

Volquez got a no-decision in his most recent starting assignment, allowing two hits and a run over six innings of the Reds' 3-2 with against the Padres on May 23.

For the Braves, lefty Tom Glavine makes his 50th career start against Cincinnati and looks to improve upon a sterling 27-12 mark against the Reds.

The 42-year-old Massachusetts native has worked 322 1/3 career innings against Cincinnati, allowing 309 hits and striking out 183 batters while posting a 3.46 earned run average.

He pitched 4 2/3 innings against the Reds in a 14-7 Braves win on May 4, getting a no-decision after being roughed up for seven hits and six runs.

Glavine was similarly tagged in his most recent start, taking a 9-3 loss to Arizona on May 25 after giving up five hits and six runs in 4 2/3 innings.

On Thursday in Milwaukee, Mark Teixeira went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run, four RBI and two walks for the Braves in an 8-1 victory over the Brewers to wrap up a three-game set.

In his third start of the season Jorge Campillo (2-0) struck out six batters in five innings and allowed one earned run to pick up the win for the Braves, who had lost three of four coming into the game.

Yunel Escobar, Kelly Johnson and Chipper Jones joined Teixeira with multi-hit days and a run scored each.

In Cincinnati, Phil Dumatrait was brilliant on the mound, as the Pittsburgh Pirates clobbered the Reds, 7-2, to avoid a three-game sweep at Great American Ball Park.

Aaron Harang (2-7), who made his fourth career relief appearance in Sunday's 18-inning marathon that the Reds ultimately lost, 12-9, to San Diego, was tagged for six runs on 10 hits in only four innings of work.

Brandon Phillips clubbed a solo homer for Cincinnati, which saw its nine-game home winning streak come to an abrupt end and was limited to only four hits in the game.

Jerry Hairston Jr. went 2-for-4 and scored a run, while Adam Dunn notched the other hit for the Reds.

Atlanta swept a three-game series from the Reds in early May after Cincinnati took six of the seven matchups between the clubs a year ago.