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GAME DAY PREVIEW Game time: 4:00pm ET Atlanta at Houston | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Regular-season records
The good: Mike Hampton (22-4) pitches in Game 3 of their opening-round series against Atlanta, while one-hit maestro Kevin Millwood won't be on the mound for the Braves.
The ugly: The Killer B's -- Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio -- are mired in a perpetual playoff slump. With the best-of-5 series tied at a game apiece, Houston manager Larry Dierker can't think of anyone he'd rather have pitching such a critical game than Hampton, one of the favorites for the Cy Young Award. "Well, maybe Bob Gibson in his prime," Dierker said. "(Hampton) is the most likely guy to be on the mound when we've won." After winning the Cy Young a year ago, Glavine has struggled through an up-and-down season, with his highest ERA (4.12) since 1990. While it's highly unlikely he'll match Millwood's performance in Game 2 -- "I'm not even going to try," Glavine said -- the Braves have the right pitcher on the mound under the circumstances. After losing his first eight career decisions to the Astros, Glavine has gone 8-0 with a 1.30 ERA in his last 10 regular-season trips to the mound against them. His most recent loss against Houston came on June 25, 1991, by a score of 1-0. "I have a comfort zone here," Glavine said, gazing around the spacious Astrodome after a light workout Thursday, an off day. "Also, their lineup hasn't changed a whole lot over the course of the last few years. I know these guys and I know what I'm trying to do." Then again, career records are much like mutual funds: past performance is no guarantee of future success. The Astros proved that in Game 1 by beating Greg Maddux, who had a 19-9 mark against Houston. "All of that is in the past and out the window," Carl Everett said. "Those things don't mean a thing now." For Game 3, the Killer B's will be reunited with another of their original members, Derek Bell, making his first appearance of the series in right field. Also, Matt Mieske will start in left, providing two more right-handed bats against the left-handed Glavine. "It's a good feeling to be back in there," said Bell, who struggled through an injury-plagued season. Of course, the B's have snoozed through the postseason like the Z's -- Biggio has a career postseason average of .125, Bagwell .121 and Bell .069. The Braves realize the importance of Game 3, which has produced the eventual winner in 12 of the 16 opening-round series since baseball expanded the playoffs in 1995. Game 4 is Saturday, also in Houston, while the teams would return to Turner Field on Sunday if a fifth game is needed. "If we can beat Hampton," Atlanta's Brian Jordan said, "the momentum would definitely be our way. They know it. It would definitely take away their confidence if we win that game." While the Killer B's are trying to break their 3-year-old playoff slump, Atlanta's MVP candidate, Chipper Jones, would like to see a few good pitchers after carrying his team offensively in the second half of the season. Jones was 1-for-5 in the first two games, walking three times and twice making outs while swinging anxiously at 3-0 pitches. "Normally, I wouldn't swing the bat on 3-0," he said. "But in these kind of situations, where every at-bat is under the microscope, it's hard to be patient." Jones hoped to break out against his offseason hunting buddy, having forged a relationship with Hampton when both were high school stars in Florida. For the past two or three years, they have met in south Georgia for a deer-hunting trip, "just two rednecks who are never too far from their roots," Jones said with a grin. "We have a real mutual respect for each other," he said. "But
I'm sure at about 3 or 4 o'clock tomorrow, that friendship will be
put on hold for a few hours."
Atlanta regulars*
Complete Atlanta roster Houston regulars*
Complete Houston roster * - 1999 regular-season statistics Regulars Statistics source: STATS, Inc. Copyright 1999 STATS, Inc. Commercial distribution without the express written consent of STATS is prohibited. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard 
Batter vs. Pitcher Atlanta Clubhouse Houston Clubhouse
B's looking to be a bit more killer vs. Braves
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