The Nationals are 7-10 against the Braves this season and 79-53 against all other opponents. In 2013 the split for the Nationals was 6-13 against the Braves and 80-63 against all others.
When the Braves won the NL East last season, they beat the Nationals regularly. As they slide to what’s most likely a finish out of the playoffs, the Braves still beat the Nationals regularly.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez noted that both the Nationals and Braves are built around strong pitching and have high expectations each season. Otherwise, he said he had no good theory on why his team has gotten the better of the series lately.
“I think in the last four years, five years, we have developed this rivalry and respect between two organizations that are pretty close and built to win,” Gonzalez said before the Braves played Washington on Tuesday at Turner Field. “They won the division in (2011 and 2012); we won it last year. And they’ve got a really good chance to win it this year and maybe next year we win it.
“You’ve got that rivalry, a respectful rivalry and then maybe you step up your game against them. We are 10-7 against them, but it’s baseball. It’s hard to explain.”
In spite of that rivalry, Gonzalez and a handful of players said they had no extra incentive to win the series against the Nationals to prevent them from clinching the NL East title at Turner Field. Most said they hadn’t even thought about that angle until reporters asked about it.
The Nationals won the series opener on Monday and needed a victory Tuesday or Wednesday to clinch.
“We’ve got to win, first and foremost,” Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said before the game on Tuesday. “We can’t be worrying about them celebrating and that kind of stuff. We have to put that aside. We basically have to win these next two games.”
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