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Atlanta Braves Head to DC for 4 with Nats

By Jonathan Savitske

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The Atlanta Braves head to the Washington D.C. to face the Washington Nationals in a four-game series, trying to snap an 8 game losing streak.

With the Atlanta Braves in the midst of a horrific stretch where the team has dropped 15 of their last 16 games, the club can play the part of spoiler to their long-time division rival. The Washington Nationals currently sit 2 games over .500 at 67-65 and are 6.5 games behind the division leading New York Mets.

-= Related: Turner Field: A Monument of Past Greatness, Present Horrors =-

After consecutive sweeps during their 9-game home-stand at the hands of the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins, this is as rough a stretch as the Atlanta Braves have experienced over the last two decades. With the Braves having only won 2 games on the road since the All-Star break, it will be difficult for the overcome their recent struggles, especially against a Washington team desperate to remain in thick of the division race.

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    • Players to Watch:

    • Hector Olivera: The Atlanta Braves have long awaited the arrival of the 3rd baseman of the future, and on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins, the 30-year-old Cuban defector finally made his debut with the club. Despite going 0-4 on Tuesday, Olivera recorded his first major league hit, a 2-run single to give the Braves a short-lived 3-2 lead. This weekend, Olivera will look to continue to adjust to major league pitching and to give the club a glimpse of what to expect next year.
    • Adonis Garcia: Fredi Gonzalez has stated that he is looking for ways to keep Garcia’s bat in the lineup. He started in left field for the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday against the Marlins. He may find more time in left-field or second-base now that Hector Olivera is seemingly entrenched at third-base. Look for Garcia to get a start or two this weekend.
    • Matt Wisler: The Atlanta Braves rookie has not pitched well on the road this season, owning a 6.53 ERA in 8 starts away from Turner Field. It is imperative that Wisler finds a way to improve his pitching on the road. He opposes Jordan Zimmerman in the first game of the series Thursday night.

    Here are the pitching matchups for this weekend’s series.

    • Thursday: Matt Wisler (5-5, 5.22 ERA) vs. Jordan Zimmerman (11-8, 3.45 ERA)

    – Matt Wisler pitched well in a loss to Luis Severino and the Yankees this past Saturday, going 6 innings for the first time since July 26th against the St. Louis Cardinals. He will need to continue his good work as he opposes the consistent Jordan Zimmerman.

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    – Julio Teheran has not pitched well on the road, owning a 6.32 ERA away from Turner Field. Going against Roark presents Teheran the Braves best chance of winning a game in this series

    – Shelby Miller is now winless in his last 19 games. His last win was in late May in Miami. Perhaps the Braves can jump on Joe Ross early and give Miller a chance to snap his streak.

    – Manny Banuelos was activated from his month long stint on the DL on Tuesday night, and was promptly bounced from the game by the Marlins after allowing 3 early runs. The Nats have yet to announce a starter for Sunday’s game.

    It would be great for the Atlanta Braves to at least get a split while in Washington this weekend, or at the very least, snap Shelby Miller’s winless streak. During this difficult period of time for the ball-club, it is important to always recognize silver-linings. Reducing the Nationals probability of making the postseason would be a moral victory the club and its fans who are suffering through this tough stretch.

    Next: Atlanta Braves Swept by Marlins, Lose 15th of 16th

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