ATLANTA — Julio Teheran, who struggled mightily in the debut season for SunTrust Park a year ago, no longer has wildly reversed home-and-road pitching stats for the Atlanta Braves.
All that has meant, though, is that the former two-time All-Star has been less than impressive whether on the road or at home this season.
Teheran takes an 8-7 record and 4.48 ERA into his start against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night as the right-hander continues trying to regain command of pitches, particularly his formerly put-away slider.
Left-hander Wade Miley, making just his eighth start in an injury-plagued season, will take the mound for the Brewers. He is 2-1 with a 2.10 ERA.
The Braves, fighting the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the National League East, battered the Brewers 10-1 in the series opener on Friday night as trade acquisition Kevin Gausman coasted to his first victory with eight strong innings.
The Braves (63-50) have won nine of their last 12 games. The Brewers (66-53) have dropped 16 of 27 and gone from a 4 1/2-game lead in the NL Central to three games behind the Chicago Cubs.
Teheran is 2-3 with a 3.18 ERA in seven career starts against Milwaukee but was routed in his most recent outing against the Brewers last season.
The 27-year-old native of Colombia lasted just three innings and gave up all the runs in a 7-0 home loss. He allowed seven hits, including two homers, and walked two.
The rough outing was part of a 3-10 record and 5.86 ERA last season in Atlanta compared with an 8-3 mark and 3.14 ERA on the road.
Teheran is 4-2 with a 4.23 ERA at home this season and 4-5 with a 4.73 ERA away from Atlanta in part because he has been less the victim of homers at SunTrust Park.
Walks, though, have been even more of an issue this season than last. He has walked at least four in three of his past six starts, including his last two.
“Whenever I have the feel for my slider, I know I’m going to throw it more than 30 times and I’m going to have a good game,” said Teheran, who has a 5.03 ERA in his past 10 starts. “When I don’t have my slider, it’s a different game.
“I’ve got to battle with my fastball and my other pitches. It’s hard to pitch without your best pitch.”
Miley, signed to a minor league contract this spring after going 8-15 with a 5.61 ERA for Baltimore last year, has pitched well for the Brewers when able to get on the mound.
The 31-year-old didn’t make his first start until early May because of a groin strain and then left his second after one out because of an oblique strain that eventually landed him on the 60-day disabled list.
Miley has made five starts since, the best by far in Los Angeles against the Dodgers on July 31. He allowed just two hits in seven innings of the 1-0 victory.
Miley hasn’t faced the Braves since 2015, when he was credited with a victory while with Boston. He is 2-2 with a 5.28 ERA in five career starts and one relief appearance versus Atlanta.
The Braves have won 18 of their last 26 home games against the Brewers, who were 1-2 at SunTrust Park last year.
