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Braves hope Beachy can salvage series in DC

Aug 3, 2011 - 2:47 PM (Sports Network) - Young right-hander Brandon Beachy gets his chance to stop the bleeding for the Atlanta Braves today, when they close out a three-game series with the host Washington Nationals.

The Braves fell for the second straight time in the series and the third straight overall on Monday, when Rick Ankiel hit his second career grand slam to cap a five-run fourth inning in the Nationals' 9-3 rout.

Ian Desmond added a two-run homer and three RBI in the win, Washington's fourth straight.

John Lannan (8-7) lasted 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out a season-high eight.

With Lannan's victory Tuesday and Livan Hernandez's win on Monday, it marked the first time Nationals starters earned the triumph in consecutive games since June 10 and 11, when Jason Marquis and Lannan accomplished the feat.

Derek Lowe (6-10) allowed eight runs -- seven earned -- on 10 hits and two walks over four-plus innings.

Dan Uggla extended his career-best hitting streak to 24 games with a single in the fifth inning, and Freddie Freeman doubled in the seventh to extend his to 17 contests.

The loss dropped the Braves eight games behind front-running Philadelphia in the National League's East Division race and trimmed their lead to just 1 1/2 games over Arizona - which has won four straight - in the league's wild card race.

Beachy, who'll turn 25 next month, debuted with Atlanta and was 0-2 in three starts last season, allowing nine runs on 16 hits in 15 innings.

He's returned to make 15 starts so far in 2011 and has won four times, including a 5-0 blanking of Florida on July 29 in his last start.

In that game, he allowed just two hits in 7 1/3 scoreless innings, walking three batters and striking out nine.

The Kokomo, Ind. native faced the Nationals once last season and got a no- decision after allowing two runs on five hits in five innings.

He's opposed by veteran right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, who returned to the majors for the first time since 2009 with his initial start as a National on July 29.

The 31-year-old Taiwanese export was rocked for six runs on eight hits in just four innings of that outing, an 8-5 loss to the New York Mets.

Wang had last been a big-leaguer two years ago with the New York Yankees, when he made nine starts in 12 appearances over 42 innings.

He's been plagued by injuries since a breakout stretch in 2006 and 2007, when he won 19 games in consecutive seasons for the Yankees.

Washington has won six of its 11 meetings with the Braves this season.