Braves 10 - 2 Nationals
Final
  for this game

Nationals aim to end eight-game slide

Apr 12, 2008 - 1:00 PM Atlanta (4-6) at Washington (3-8) 1:05 pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Ticker) - If the Washington Nationals are going to end a miserable stretch, they will have beat a pitcher that has long had their number.

The Nationals hope to avoid their ninth straight loss on Saturday when they host the Atlanta Braves in the second game of a three-game set.

Washington opened its season with a walk-off win against the Braves on March 30 and took the first two of three games against Philadelphia to start 3-0 for the first time since 2003. Things have gone downhill from there.

To end their slump, the Nationals will have to solve John Smoltz (1-0, 0.00 ERA) - a veteran pitcher who has routinely shut them down.

The 40-year-old righthander is 20-11 with a 2.60 ERA all-time against the Montreal-Washington franchise in 66 career appearances, including 39 starts.

Smoltz was sharp in his season debut on Sunday, besting New York Mets' ace Johan Santana to claim a 3-1 win.

He tossed five scoreless frames, allowing just two hits and striking out six before he left the game with right shoulder tightness - a problem that caused him to miss the first week of the season.

Smoltz will be opposed by John Lannan (0-1, 2.70), who lost a 3-0 decision against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, despite allowing only two runs over 6 2/3 innings.








  • NL
    FINAL
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
    - - - - - - - - - - - -
    ATLANTA 4 0 0 2 1 3 0 0 0 10 13 1
    WASHINGTON 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 7 0 (FINAL)

    BATTERIES: ATL - JOHN SMOLTZ, WILL OHMAN (7TH), JEFF BENNETT (7TH), BLAINE
    BOYER (8TH), MANNY ACOSTA (9TH) AND BRIAN MCCANN, CORKY MILLER
    (7TH)
    WAS - JOHN LANNAN, JASON BERGM

    Apr 12 5:21 PM


  • NL
    AT WASHINGTON - SCORING UPDATE
    SACRIFICE FLY BY RYAN ZIMMERMAN SCORED WILLIE HARRIS.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, L MILLEDGE ON FIRST, C GUZMAN ON SECOND, 2 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: ATLANTA 10
    WASHINGTON 2 BOTTOM, 7TH
    DUE UP FOR WASHINGTON: J HANRAHAN (.000, 0 HR, 0 RBI)

    Braves 10, Nationals 2  Bot 7, 0 OutsApr 12 4:46 PM


  • NL
    AT WASHINGTON - SCORING UPDATE
    SOLO HOME RUN BY BRIAN MCCANN (3) TO RIGHT WITH 2 OUT IN
    THE 6TH OFF JASON BERGMANN.
    CURRENT SCORE: ATLANTA 10, WASHINGTON 1
    DUE UP FOR ATLANTA: M DIAZ (.279, 2-FOR-3)

    Braves 10, Nationals 1  Top 6, 0 OutsApr 12 4:18 PM


  • NL
    AT WASHINGTON - SCORING UPDATE
    TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY JEFF FRANCOEUR (3) TO LEFT WITH 2 OUT
    IN THE 6TH OFF JASON BERGMANN SCORED YUNEL ESCOBAR.
    CURRENT SCORE: ATLANTA 9, WASHINGTON 1
    DUE UP FOR ATLANTA: B MCCANN (.333, 2-FOR-3)

    Braves 9, Nationals 1  Top 6, 0 OutsApr 12 4:17 PM


  • NL
    AT WASHINGTON - SCORING UPDATE
    GROUND OUT BY JOHN SMOLTZ SCORED MATT DIAZ.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, NONE ON, 2 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: ATLANTA 7
    WASHINGTON 1 TOP, 5TH
    DUE UP FOR ATLANTA: K JOHNSON (.313, 2-FOR-3)

    Braves 7, Nationals 1  Top 5, 0 OutsApr 12 4:02 PM


  • NL
    AT WASHINGTON - SCORING UPDATE
    TRIPLE BY WILLIE HARRIS SCORED FELIPE LOPEZ.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, W HARRIS ON THIRD, 2 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: ATLANTA 6
    WASHINGTON 1 BOTTOM, 4TH
    DUE UP FOR WASHINGTON: J LANNAN (.000, 0-FOR-1)

    Braves 6, Nationals 1  Bot 4, 0 OutsApr 12 3:56 PM


  • NL
    AT WASHINGTON - SCORING UPDATE
    SINGLE BY JEFF FRANCOEUR SCORED YUNEL ESCOBAR AND CHIPPER
    JONES.
    SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J FRANCOEUR ON SECOND, M TEIXEIRA ON THIRD, 2 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: ATLANTA 6
    WASHINGTON 0 TOP, 4TH
    DUE UP FOR ATLANTA: B MCCANN (.343, 2-FOR-2)

    Braves 6, Nationals 0  Top 4, 0 OutsApr 12 3:47 PM


  • NL
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
    - - - - - - - - - - - -
    ATLANTA 4 4 5 0
    WASHINGTON 0 0 0 (BOT 1)

    CURRENT PITCHERS: ATL - JOHN SMOLTZ
    WAS - JOHN LANNAN

    DUE UP FOR WASHINGTON: C GUZMAN (.294, 2 HR, 6 RBI)
    L MILLEDGE (.289, 1 HR, 5 RBI)
    R ZIMMERMAN (.191, 2 HR, 3

    Braves 4, Nationals 0  Bot 1, 0 OutsApr 12 2:49 PM

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