Nationals 6 - 7 Braves
Final
  for this game

Braves return home aiming to get on track vs. Nats

Aug 8, 2014 - 2:44 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Atlanta Braves hope a return home will rectify their postseason chances, as they open an important three-game series Friday versus the Washington Nationals at Turner Field.

The Braves lost all eight games on their recent western road trip and will play 10 in a row at Turner Field versus Washington, Los Angeles and Oakland.

Atlanta, which is 4 1/2 games behind the Nationals for the NL East lead, suffered a 7-3 loss at Seattle on Wednesday in the finale of a brief two-game series. Julio Teheran struggled on the mound to the tune of six runs and nine hits, including two home runs, over six innings.

Seattle erased a 3-1 deficit with four runs in the third inning and added two more runs for the final margin. Freddie Freeman had three hits and drove in two runs, while Tommy La Stella was credited with the other RBI in defeat.

"We've faced some pretty good teams on the road here, especially pitching wise, against us," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "We gotta go back home and start winning series again."

Braves outfielder Justin Upton went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. He is one hit shy of 1,000 in his career and three RBI away from 500.

The Braves are 6-13 since the All-Star break and 31-24 at home. They will send Ervin Santana to the mound Friday and he is 10-6 with a 3.59 earned run average. Santana is unbeaten (3-0) in his last four starts and did not record a decision in Saturday's 3-2 setback at San Diego, charged with just two runs in 6 2/3 innings of work.

Santana is 7-2 in 10 home starts and winless (0-1) in five career starts against the Nationals.

Washington went 4-4 on its recent homestand and will play the next six games on the road against the Braves and New York Mets.

The Nationals took the last two games of a three-game set from the Mets and won Thursday's rubber match in dramatic fashion. Bryce Harper belted the game- winning two-run homer off Carlos Torres in the bottom of the 13th inning.

"I was just trying to barrel something," Harper said. "It got to the point where I was just trying to get something out over (the plate) and try to punish it and I got a pitch I could hit."

Ian Desmond homered and drove in three runs and Denard Span recorded four hits for the Nationals. Jordan Zimmermann lasted 6 1/3 innings in the start and gave up three runs, while Craig Stammen tossed the last three innings for the win.

The Nationals are 28-27 on the road and will hand the ball to Stephen Strasburg Friday. Strasburg is 8-9 with a 3.39 earned run average and halted a personal three-game slide in Sunday's 4-0 win over Philadelphia with seven scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts.

Strasburg has struggled on the road this season, going 1-7 in 11 starts, and is just 3-5 with a 4.04 ERA in 14 career starts against Atlanta. The righty is 0-1 in two starts against the Braves this season.

Washington is 3-7 against Atlanta this season and was swept in three games at Turner Field from April 11-13.






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