• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Braves-Nationals Preview

Jul 28, 2010 - 4:14 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Atlanta (57-41) at Washington (42-57), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Tim Hudson has four wins in his last seven starts but it's been a little more than two months since the Atlanta Braves right-hander has produced victories in consecutive outings.

A matchup with the Washington Nationals could give Hudson the opportunity to accomplish that feat, although pitching opposite Livan Hernandez might not help.

With each pitcher coming off one of their strongest efforts of the season, Hudson will try to improve to 9-0 in 12 starts against Washington, while Hernandez will attempt to win his fourth straight over the Braves on Wednesday night.

Hudson (10-5, 2.47 ERA) continued his pattern of alternating losses and wins Thursday with a four-hitter over seven innings against San Diego. The performance in the 8-0 home victory gave him a 0.32 ERA in his four wins since June 10.

"It looked to me like too much Hudson," Padres manager Bud Black told the Braves' official website.

In the four losses over that same span, he's posted a 4.55 ERA and gave up six runs over 6 2-3 innings in his most recent defeat July 17 against Milwaukee.

Hudson has been a little more consistent against the Nationals, putting up a 1.47 ERA during his win streak and going 9-1 with a 1.51 ERA in 15 career matchups. He's 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in two meetings this season.

To add another win, he'll likely need a better performance from the Braves' offense than in the series opener.

Atlanta (57-42) managed only five hits - three against Stephen Strasburg's last-minute replacement Miguel Batista - in a 3-0 loss, its seventh in 12 games. The win was the fourth in 13 contests for Washington (43-57).

"Everything that could have gone wrong tonight did, and it cost us," Braves third baseman Chipper Jones told his team's website.

The NL East leaders might not have much better luck against Hernandez (7-6, 3.12), who is 3-0 with a 2.96 ERA in his last four matchups with Atlanta.

The veteran right-hander enters this contest - featuring starters with a combined 321 wins - after recording his second complete game of the season in Thursday's 7-1 victory at Cincinnati. While earning his first win since June 21, Hernandez didn't issue a walk for the third time in six outings.

"I want to have a good year," said Hernandez, who has both of the Nationals' complete games this season. "I want to go out and prove people wrong. My friends and teammates are always (saying), 'You're a good pitcher, you can pitch.' But I've got to show some different people I'm not done. So I go out very excited. Every time I go pitch, I think of that and I think it helps me a lot."

Hernandez is 4-2 with a 2.57 ERA at home this season but is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in his last two starts there. However, he allowed two runs over 5 1-3 innings in a 6-3 home win over the Braves on May 4.

Atlanta hasn't dropped three straight since being swept by the White Sox on June 22-24.