Scouting the Braves' Division series: could be close

Here's a look at the best-of-five National League division series between the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants:

Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Thursday, at San Francisco (9:37 p.m.)

Game 2, Friday, at San Francisco (9:37 p.m.)

Game 3, Sunday, at Atlanta (TBA)

x-Game 4, Monday, Oct. 11, at Atlanta (TBA)

x-Game 5, Wednesday, Oct. 13, at San Francisco (TBA). (All games broadcast on 1240 AM and on TBS).

x=if necessary.

Season Series: Braves won 4-3.

Projected Lineups

Braves: 3B Omar Infante (.321, 8 HRs, 47 RBIs, 7 SBs), RF Jason Heyward (.277, 18, 72, 11 SBs, .393 on-base percentage), 1B Derrek Lee (.260, 19, 80 with Cubs and Braves), C Brian McCann (.269, 21, 77), LF Melky Cabrera (.255, 4, 42) or Matt Diaz (.250, 7, 31), SS Alex Gonzalez (.250, 23, 88 with Blue Jays and Braves), 2B Brooks Conrad (.250, 8, 33), CF Rick Ankiel (.232, 6, 24 with Royals and Braves).

Giants: CF Andres Torres (.268, 16, 63, 26 SBs), 2B Freddy Sanchez (.292, 7, 47), 1B Aubrey Huff (.290, 26, 86), C Buster Posey (.305, 18, 67 after being called up from minors May 29), LF Pat Burrell (.266, 18, 51, signed to minor league deal May 29 after release by Tampa Bay and called up from Triple-A on June 4), SS Juan Uribe (.248, 24, 85), RF Jose Guillen (.266, 3, 15 after acquired from Royals on Aug. 13), 3B Pablo Sandoval (.268, 13, 63).

Projected Rotations

Braves: RH Derek Lowe (16-12, 4.00 ERA, including 5-0 with 1.17 ERA in last 5 starts); RH Tommy Hanson (10-11, 3.33), RH Tim Hudson (17-9, 2.83).

Giants: RH Tim Lincecum (16-10, 3.43, 231 Ks), RH Matt Cain (13-11, 3.14, 177 Ks), LH Jonathan Sanchez (13-9, 3.07, 205 Ks, career-high 193 1-3 innings), LH Madison Bumgarner (7-6, 3.00, 86 Ks in 18 starts as rookie).

Relievers

Braves: LH Billy Wagner (7-2, 1.43, 37/44 saves), LH Jonny Venters (4-4, 1.95 ERA, best among major league rookies with at least 50 appearances), RH Peter Moylan (6-2, 2.97 in team-high 85 games), RH Craig Kimbrel (4-0, 0.44, 40 strikeouts in 20 2-3 innings, finished regular season with 16 1-3 consecutive scoreless innings), LH Mike Dunn (2-0, 1.89, 27 Ks, 17 BBs, 19 innings), RH Takashi Saito (2-3, 2.83, 1 save), RH Kyle Farnsworth (0-2, 5.40).

Giants: RH Brian Wilson (3-3, 1.81, 93 Ks, major league-best 48/53 saves), RH Ramon Ramirez (1-0, 0.67, 15 Ks, 1 save), LH Javier Lopez (4-2, 2.34, 38 Ks), LH Jeremy Affeldt (4-3, 4.14, 44 Ks, 4 saves), RH Santiago Casilla (7-2, 1.95, 56 Ks, 2 saves), LH Barry Zito (9-14, 4.15, 150 Ks), RH Sergio Romo (5-3 2.18, 70 Ks).

Matchups

Atlanta's 9-14 April included two losses in three games at San Francisco. The Braves' rotation back then looked much different than it does now: Kris Medlen, the loser in the opening game, sustained a season-ending elbow injury in August. Kenshin Kawakami, the loser in the final game, lost his spot in the rotation. Atlanta's 7-2 win in the series came from Lowe, who gave up one run in six innings. ... The Braves were playing much better in August, when they took three of four from the Giants in Atlanta. Lowe beat Jonathan Sanchez in the final game of the series as Sanchez went 4 innings, yielding 4 runs and 5 hits. Lowe was 2-0 with a 2.38 in his 2 starts against the Giants. ... Hudson threw 8 scoreless innings and Troy Glaus hit a two-run single to beat Cain 3-0. ... Wagner blew a save in the Braves' only home loss. ... Hudson is 5-4 with a 3.56 ERA in 13 career starts against San Francisco. ... Huff was 2 for 23 (.087) with 4 RBIs against the Braves this year. Posey went 1 for 11 (.091), Freddy Sanchez was 2 for 17 (.118) and Uribe was 4 for 23 (.174). On the plus side for the Giants, Torres batted .353 (6 for 17) against Atlanta pitching with two stolen bases and Sandoval was 9 for 27 (.333) with a homer and 4 RBIs. ... Lincecum was 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 2 starts against the Braves this season, striking out 17 in 13 1-3 innings. He also gave up 3 homers. Jonathan Sanchez was 0-1 with a 7.56 ERA in 2 starts vs. Atlanta. He walked five and struck out 10 in 8 1-3 innings. ... Barry Bonds and the Giants beat the Braves in a 2002 division series en route to the NL pennant, winning the decisive fifth game in Atlanta.

Big Picture

Braves: Atlanta (91-71) returns to the postseason after a four-year drought with its first appearance as the wild card. The Braves gave retiring manager Bobby Cox one final trip to the playoffs thanks to an 8-7 win over Philadelphia and a San Diego loss in San Francisco on the last day of the regular season. ... Atlanta had to endure a nine-game losing streak in April and the losses of two starting third basemen - Chipper Jones and Martin Prado - to season-ending injuries. Each was the team's No. 3 hitter. Prado was the NL All-Star starter at second base before moving to third. ... Heyward played through a thumb injury and enjoyed a consistent season as a rookie. He was voted an All-Star starter, though the injury kept him out, and he reached base safely in 35 of the team's last 36 games. His .393 on-base percentage is the sixth-highest in history for any player who was 20 at the start of the season. ... Hanson pitched much better in his first full season than his record showed. He is the only pitcher in Atlanta history to have a losing record in at least 30 starts with an ERA of 3.50 or better. ... The Braves had baseball's best home record at 56-25, matching the franchise record for home wins set in 1998 and 1999. But the Braves were 35-46 on the road, and that's where they open the playoffs. ... Atlanta led the majors with 25 victories in its final at-bat. The Braves also had 45 comeback wins.

Giants: San Francisco (92-70) needed to win only once in a season-ending, three-game series with visiting San Diego to clinch the NL West title, but it took until the final, dramatic day in Game 162. Now, the Giants are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2003 with a roster that looks much different from opening day - and minus the superstar they had last time around in Bonds. ... Looking to improve a punchless lineup, general manager Brian Sabean brought in Burrell and Guillen during the season, giving both second chances. Cody Ross was acquired from Florida to provide some more pop and depth in the outfield. Left-handed hitting infielder Mike Fontenot came over from the Cubs and has received playing time in some key games in place of Freddy Sanchez. There were two new bullpen additions at the trade deadline, too: Ramirez and Lopez. ... Posey was called up in late May and initially plugged in at first base just to get his bat in the lineup. He went back to his regular position after catcher Bengie Molina was traded to Texas, and Posey has blossomed into an invaluable star. He's delivered clutch hits and done an excellent job handling a talented pitching staff, making him a leading contender for NL Rookie of the Year. ... While manager Bruce Bochy has had a reputation for sticking with veterans in the past, this year he benched CF Aaron Rowand - and his $12 million salary - in favor of the unproven Torres. The gamble worked, and Torres has been a catalyst as a leadoff man and effective base stealer. He also made quite a return in September. Torres underwent an emergency appendectomy Sept. 12 in San Diego and played for San Francisco again Sept. 24 - missing all of 11 games. ... Lincecum endured an alarming five-start losing streak in August, but found a way to get back on track. The two-time reigning NL Cy Young Award winner returned to top form in September. ... Sandoval's disappointing season was a surprise. He admits he tried too hard and has been telling himself to relax more at the plate. Will B ochy stick with the "Kung Fu Panda" if he continues to struggle?

Watch For:

- Lights Out in the Late Innings. Both teams boast deep and stingy bullpens anchored by hard-throwing closers. Cox has turned often to his most-trusted relievers. Moylan ranked second in the NL with 85 appearances. Venters was tied for sixth with 79, but he was ineffective in the eighth inning against the Phillies on Sunday after also struggling when asked to pitch more than one inning Saturday. Wagner says he feels strong after his 71 games tied for 16th in the league. Venters, Kimbrel and Dunn are rookies. Meanwhile, the Giants' bullpen went its final six games and 24 innings without giving up an earned run.

- Banged-up Braves. Season-ending injuries to Prado and Jones have left Atlanta without its best tablesetter and a proven bopper in the middle of the lineup. Conrad, normally a bat off the bench, struggled defensively at third base and was shifted to second for the regular-season finale. The loss of Medlen hurt the staff, and RHP Jair Jurrjens hasn't pitched since Sept. 14 because of an injured right knee. Saito was on a roll as the setup man before a shoulder injury sidelined him from Sept. 17 to Oct. 2. When he returned Saturday, he was shaky against the Phillies. Do the depleted Braves have enough to last in October?

- K-Zone. Giants pitchers led the majors with 1,331 strikeouts to establish a San Francisco single-season record, topping last year's total of 1,302. That takes pressure off a subpar defense that lacks athleticism. Even when they find themselves in major jams, several Giants pitchers have the ability to overpower hitters and escape unscathed. All the power arms on this staff make San Francisco a postseason threat.