If the Braves have proven anything through seven games, it's that they are streaky.

Atlanta dropped its first four contests, suffering a sweep at the hands of the Mets before losing the series opener against the Astros.

Since, the Braves have rolled off three straight wins. Extending that win streak to four will be no easy task with Shawn Marcum taking the hill Saturday for the Brewers.

Marcum, who went 13-7 with a 3.54 ERA in 2011, picked up a win in his first outing of the season with a quality start against the Cubs.

"I was really happy with the way Marcum threw the ball," manager Ron Roenicke said about his starter, who allowed three runs in six innings. "The nice thing about him is his pitch count allowed him to get deeper in games than most guys."

The Braves will send left-hander Mike Minor to the hill. Minor surrendered six runs on six hits and four walks in a loss to the Mets on Sunday.

"There was bad luck, but it was also that they just find a way," Minor said about New York's hitting attack. "That's what good teams do. They find a way to put the ball in play. There's not a lot of free-swinging. They take a lot of pitches and work counts. They put the bat on the ball and make things happen."

Brewers: Gonzalez homers in return
• Alex Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in the second inning of Friday's 10-8 loss to the Braves, the shortstop's first game in Atlanta since spending the last year and a half with the NL East club.

"I liked Atlanta. Good teammates, good fans, good team," Gonzalez said. "But I'm happy. I'm glad to be with the Brewers. We have a playoff team. I'm excited about the season."

• Brewers pitching prospect Mark Rogers was reinstated from the restricted list after serving a 25-game suspension for testing positive last season for a banned stimulant in the Minors. The right-hander is in extended Spring Training and will soon report to Triple-A Nashville. Rogers attributed the failed test to a tainted supplement.

Braves: Chipper misses last home opener
• Chipper Jones was pulled from Friday's starting lineup about 20 minutes before batting practice prior to the club's home opener against the Brewers. The team's trainers warned Jones, who plans to retire at season's end, that he could have blown out his quadriceps had he played because of an abundance of fluid around his surgically repaired left knee.

"I really didn't want to miss this one," Jones said. "I knew at times I was going to wake up and wasn't going to be ready to go. But I had no idea it was going to be the home opener."

Jones had the knee drained and is doubtful for Saturday, but may return Sunday.

• Tim Hudson made a Minor League rehab start for Class A Rome on Thursday, about four-and-a-half months after having back surgery.

"It was a good step in the right direction," Hudson said. "Obviously from an effective standpoint, it was not. But health-wise, it was definitely two thumbs up."

The 36-year-old right-hander will make at least two starts for Triple-A Gwinnett before being activated from the disabled list.

Worth noting
• In nine at-bats this season, Brewers reserve catcher George Kottaras has four hits, three of which are home runs.

• Braves reliever Eric O'Flaherty allowed three earned runs in one inning Friday. The southpaw surrendered just eight earned runs all of last season in 73 2/3 innings.

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