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Braves visit Nationals, try to keep playoff hopes alive

Sep 14, 2007 - 1:34 PM Atlanta (74-72) at Washington (65-81), 7:05 pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- After being a playoff fixture in the National League from 1991-2005, the Atlanta Braves are dangerously close to missing the the postseason for the second consecutive season.

The Braves look to keep their slim playoff hopes alive when they open a three-game series with the Washington Nationals at RFK Stadium.

Trailing the the NL East-leading New York Mets (83-62) by 9 1/2 games with only 16 to play, Atlanta has turned its attention to the wild card race. However, closing the 4 1/2-game gap on the front-leading San Diego Padres (78-67) and leap-frogging the four teams ahead of them in that race may be too much to ask at this point.

Chuck James (10-10, 4.21 ERA) takes the mound for the Braves, who have won nine of their first 15 games with Washington this year. The lefthander allowed two runs in 6 1/3 in a 9-2 win against the Nationals on Saturday. Jones can match his career-high for wins (2006) with a victory.

Jones' counterpart will be Matt Chico (5-8, 4.61), the same player who opposed him Saturday. Also a lefthander, Chico didn't get much defensive support in his last start as all six of the Braves runs off him were unearned.