MONDAY
Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV: SPSO
Probable starting pitchers: Braves RH Williams Perez (4-6, 5.65 ERA) vs. RH Aaron Harang (5-14, 4.89)
Comment: Perez is almost pitching by default now after he lost his spot in the rotation and was sent to Triple-A Gwinnett. But he got it back when rosters expanded and Mike Foltynewicz went on the disabled list with a rib cartilage ailment. The Braves have lost Perez's past eight starts, while he has gone 0-6 with an 8.85 ERA. Harang has been dominant against his former team, going 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA in three starts against the Braves this year.
The Braves find themselves in a battle with the Phillies to stay out of last place in the NL East. They were just swept by the Nationals to fall to 0-10 in Washington this year, the first time they went winless in an opponent’s city where they played at least nine games since 1990 (Astros). Cameron Maybin is likely to miss the first couple of games in this series with a scratched left cornea. A.J. Pierzynski moved past Bill Dickey into 10th place in hits all-time among catchers with his 1,970th hit in the fifth inning on Sunday. Next up is Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, who is ninth with 2,048 hits.
TUESDAY
Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV: SPSO
Probable starting pitchers: Braves RH Matt Wisler (5-6, 5.82) vs. RH Aaron Nola (5-2, 4.02)
Comment: In his first seven major league starts, Wisler went 5-1 with a 3.43 ERA. In his past seven, he has gone 0-5 with a 9.49 ERA. His last start in Washington was disastrous, when he gave up seven earned runs and failed to make it out of the second inning. Wisler pitched two innings in relief Sunday in Washington, on what would have been his bullpen day. The rookie Nola has had a different experience his first year in the big leagues. The LSU product has seen his team win six of his nine major league starts. Like Wisler though, he got knocked around in his past start, giving up six earned runs, including two homers, in four innings of a loss to the Mets.
WEDNESDAY
Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV: SPSO
Probable starting pitchers: RH Julio Teheran (9-7, 4.51) vs. TBA
Comment: Teheran was the best thing the Braves had going the last time through the rotation, when he held the Nationals to one run in six innings in the best chance the Braves have had to win a game in weeks. But the Nationals came back and won 5-2 in 10 innings. Teheran pitched his first major league game at Citizens Bank Park in 2011 and considers it a special place. He won his last start there August 2, holding the Phillies to two runs in seven innings of a 6-2 win. For his career, he is 3-1 with a 1.95 ERA in four starts in Philadelphia.
UPCOMING
Thursday: vs Mets, 7:10 p.m.
Friday: vs. Mets, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday: vs. Mets, 7:10 p.m.
Sunday: vs. Mets, 1:35 p.m.
Monday: Off.
-Carol Rogers Walton
