Nationals 4 - 2 Braves
Final
  for this game

Nats close in on NL East title in Atlanta

Sep 15, 2014 - 2:37 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The postseason is just around the corner for the Washington Nationals and they'll try to move closer to an NL East title when they start a three-game series Monday versus the rival Atlanta Braves.

The magic number to clinch a second division title in three years is now four for the Nationals, who won three of four games against the New York Mets this weekend to begin an 11-game road trip and took Sunday's finale, 3-0, at Citi Field.

Jordan Zimmermann threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings for the win, his 12th of the season (12-5), struck out five and walked one. Wilson Ramos opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the seventh inning and Ian Desmond scored a run in the eighth on a fielding error at the plate.

Washington has won six of its last eight games and is 10 1/2 games ahead of the Braves in the division standings.

"We need to play good tomorrow if we want to get to where we want to get to," Washington manager Matt Williams said after his club defeated the Mets.

The Nationals received a superb outing from Zimmermann on Sunday, and now hope Stephen Strasburg can find success on the road against the Braves. Strasburg is 3-8 with a 4.45 earned run average in 14 road starts, but has prevailed in each of his last two away assignments. Strasburg is winless (0-1) in his past two outings overall and allowed three runs in six innings of a 6-2 loss to Atlanta last Wednesday.

Strasburg was 3-0 in five appearances before facing the Braves and fell to 3-7 in 16 starts lifetime against them. The right-hander has an 11-11 mark to go along with a 3.46 ERA this season.

Atlanta will shift its focus on a wild card spot and is four games out of the second berth in the National League. It has been a rough September for the Braves as evidenced by a 3-9 record this month.

The Braves suffered a three-game sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers this weekend and finished 2-7 on a nine-game road trip. In Sunday's 10-3 beating in Arlington, Mike Minor labored through 4 2/3 innings, giving up five runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 frames.

"I pitched pretty bad," said Minor. "I was working behind every batter."

Ryan Doumit homered and Joey Terdoslavich drove in two runs in the loss.

Atlanta is home for the next 10 games versus Washington, the Mets and Pittsburgh, and Ervin Santana will kick off the stay Monday on the mound. Santana is 14-8 with a 3.76 ERA and lost to the Nationals last Tuesday in a 6-4 defeat, charged with six runs -- five earned -- in five innings.

Santana is 1-2 in his last three decisions (4 starts) after winning three straight starts and six of the previous seven (6-0). He has a 7-0 mark in the past eight home starts and 10-2 in 14 outings at Turner Field this season. Santana has faced the Nationals seven times in his career and is 1-2 with a 4.70 ERA against them.

The Braves have a 10-6 edge over the Nationals this season, going 5-1 at Turner Field.






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