Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scoreboard - Live Odds - Sporting Events - Live Lines

Game 2: Chicago - Rich Harden (1-1, 2.10) Atlanta - Jorge Campillo (7-4, 2.83)

(Sports Network) - After having a day off due to inclement weather in the Atlanta area on Tuesday, the Chicago Cubs will try again for their sixth straight road win when they kick off a six-game trek this afternoon with a day-night doubleheader against the Braves at Turner Field.

The NL Central-leading Cubs had their division lead trimmed to three games over the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers because of the rain, and recently completed a nine-game homestand with a 6-3 record. In Sunday night's 6-2 victory over the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field, starter Ryan Dempster allowed two runs on six hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings of work to earn the win. Ronny Cedeno and Mark DeRosa each knocked in a pair of runs, while Aramis Ramirez scored twice for Chicago.

After this three-game series with the Braves, Chicago will visit the Florida Marlins for three games at Dolphin Stadium. The Cubs own a 26-30 record as the guest this season.

Jason Marquis will shoot for back-to-back wins when he gets the nod in the opener of the twinbill. Marquis had lost four straight decisions and was winless in six starts before beating Houston on Wednesday. Marquis lasted 6 1/3 innings in the 11-4 rout of the Astros, allowing four runs and six hits with three K's and two walks. The effort boosted his 2008 record to 7-7 with a 4.73 earned run average over 21 starts.

The right-hander has had trouble throughout his career against Atlanta, going 0-3 with a 14.04 ERA in four career appearances. The Braves are batting .407 against Marquis in those outings.

Rich Harden will handle pitching duties for the Cubs in the nightcap, and he is 1-1 with a 2.10 earned run average in five starts with his new team.

Harden did not record a decision after his last outing on August 5, an 11-7 victory over the Houston Astros. He was reached for five runs -- four earned -- and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings of work.

The righty, who has led the Cubs to a 3-2 record in his five trips to the hill, will face Atlanta for the second this season and his career. Harden took on the Braves at Turner Field on May 17 as a member of the Oakland Athletics. He was on point that day in a 5-4 win, allowing just a run and four hits with eight strikeouts in seven frames.

Atlanta will open a seven-game homestand Wednesday versus the Cubs and Giants, and sport a decent 33-25 record at Turner Field this season. The Braves were aiming for a four-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks, but suffered a 6-1 loss in Sunday's series finale at Chase Field.

Omar Infante finished with a team-high two hits and knocked in the lone run for the Braves, who finished their road trip at 4-3. Starting pitcher Mike Hampton suffered the loss in his fourth start of the season, permitting six runs on five hits and two walks in four innings of work.

Taking the mound for the Braves this afternoon will be rookie Charlie Morton, who is 3-5 with a 5.70 earned run average in 10 starts this season. Morton ended a personal three-start losing streak his last time out on August 7 at Arizona's Chase Field. He tossed seven shutout innings of five-hit ball to lead the Braves to a 6-4 victory.

The right-hander, who is 0-4 with an 8.39 ERA in five home starts this season, will face Chicago for the first time.

Atlanta will send Jorge Campillo to the hill in the second contest with hopes of him extending his current unbeaten streak. Campillo has won back-to-back outings and is 4-0 over his last six trips to the mound.

Campillo won his most recent outing on Friday at Arizona, but it wasn't pretty. He was reached for five runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings of an 11-6 triumph over the Diamondbacks. The lackluster effort lifted Campillo to a 7-4 mark with a 2.83 ERA in 30 games, 16 of which have been starts, in 2008.

The right-hander faced the Cubs for the first time in his career on June 12, when he pitched one-third of an inning in a 3-2 loss at Wrigley Field.

Chicago swept a three-game series from the Braves in early June this season at Wrigley Field, and has won six of the last eight meetings in this series. The Cubs and Braves split six games in Dixie last season.