Series preview: vs. Nationals
When (TV): 7:35 p.m. Friday (FSSO), 7:10 p.m. Saturday (FSSO), 1:35 p.m. Sunday (FSSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 100.5
Probable starting pitchers:
Friday: Braves LH Alex Wood (2-2, 2.78) vs. RH Taylor Jordan (1-3, 4.14)
Saturday: Braves LH Mike Minor (12-5, 2.87) vs. RH Stephen Strasburg (6-9, 2.83)
Sunday: Braves RH Julio Teheran (9-6, 3.08) vs. LH Gio Gonzalez (7-5, 3.42)
About the Braves:
Batting: Jason Heyward has hit .382 (26-for-68) with six doubles, three home runs, 12 RBIs and 20 runs in 18 games since moving to the leadoff spot. The Braves are 16-2 in those games. Chris Johnson hit .300 (6-for-20) with two doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs in the first six games of this homestand. Freddie Freeman has hit .368 (14-for-38) with a double, a home run and 10 RBIs in 10 games against the Nationals this season. Justin Upton homered twice in a three-game sweep last week at Nationals Park.
Pitching: Wood has made three consecutive quality starts in the four since he moved into the Braves' rotation for the injured Paul Maholm. He allowed four earned runs in 19 innings (1.89 ERA) while going 2-0 in those three starts. He pitched six shutout innings in a 1-0 loss to hard-throwing Nathan Eovaldi and the Marlins his last time out, Saturday in the game that snapped the Braves' 14-game win streak.
Miscellaneous: The Braves swept three in Washington last week to move to 6-0 at Nationals Park and 10-3 overall against the Nationals this season. The Braves are 7-1 in games pitched this season by Strasburg and Gonzalez.
About the Nationals:
Batting: Jayson Werth went 2-for-4 on Thursday to extend his hitting streak to seven games, during which he's batted .519 (14-for-27) with one double, two homers and six RBIs. Ian Desmond is hitting 11-for-24 (.458) over a six-game streak since the Braves left Washington. The Braves have limited the Nationals to a .196 batting average in 13 games this season, including .152 (5-for-33) from Bryce Harper. Harper took exception to being hit by a Teheran pitch after he homered Aug. 6 in Washington.
Pitching: The rookie Jordan might make his last start of the season as he approaches an innings limit in his first year removed from Tommy John surgery. He has allowed four earned runs in each of his past two starts over 10 1/3 innings combined. He has recorded one win in eight major league starts. This is his first start against the Braves. Strasburg and Gonzalez are a combined 0-4 with a 4.08 ERA in eight starts against the Braves this season.
Miscellaneous: The Nationals had won five in a row before the Giants rallied to beat them 4-3 on Thursday. They arrive in Atlanta 14 1/2 games behind the Braves in the NL East.
