WASHINGTON — For all that has ailed the Braves, Dan Uggla isn’t feeling a thing.
He has taken his share of lumps this season, and he’s having none of that now. Uggla is reviving his season with a 25-game hitting streak and hitting home runs left and right to keep the Braves afloat during a rocky stretch without Chipper Jones and Brian McCann.
His three-run homer lifted the Braves to a 6-4 win over the Nationals on Wednesday afternoon and helped them avoid their first sweep of the season. He has hit three game-deciding home runs in the past three wins by the Braves.
“It’s fun, first and foremost,” said Uggla of a streak that’s now the fourth longest in Atlanta Braves history. “It’s nice to actually do it and get the win today, jump back on this win train we had going on in the first half. We’ve got some ground to make up with the Phillies, and we’ve got to start pulling away from the western division.”
The Braves remain eight games back in the National League East behind the Phillies, who have won six in a row, and hold a 2 1/2-game lead in the wild-card standings.
They went 10-10 over a stretch of 20 games in 20 days and are happy to have something to enjoy on train ride to New York and an off day Thursday.
“It seemed like the longest 20 games I’ve ever been a part of, with the extra-inning games and rain delays and tough games like this,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “Now we get an off day tomorrow and hopefully go back to winning series.”
Both Uggla and newly named NL rookie of the month Freddie Freeman extended their hitting streaks with infield hits, then set about the business of driving in big runs in the fifth. Freeman drove in the first run of the four-run outburst with a single, followed by Uggla’s three-run homer off Chien-Ming Wang.
Uggla is feeling so good at the plate, it took a peek at video to notice that Wang’s slider was on the outside corner. In live action, it was in Uggla’s kitchen.
Uggla has hit 11 home runs during this streak and five in the past six games. He has raised his average from .173 to .215. Nobody could be happier for him than his teammates, who have watched him stay positive throughout.
“Not many guys would be able to go through the .170 stretch that he went through and not want to do bodily harm to themselves,” Jones said. “But through it all every ground ball he hit, he busted his butt to first. He played good defense. He was happy for the rest of the guys when they did well. He didn’t sit in the corner and sulk, and players respect that.
“And now that we’re starting to see what all the hype’s about, we’re extremely happy for him because he’s doing it at a time when we need him the most.”
Uggla’s home run gave the Braves a 6-0 lead and some well-needed cushion when Brandon Beachy ran into trouble in the sixth. After throwing five scoreless innings, his outing began to unravel with a leadoff walk. Before it was over the Nationals had scored four runs, capped by a Jayson Werth two-run homer.
“It just goes to show you how quickly things can come down on you at this level,” said Beachy, who won to move to 5-2 with a 3.49 ERA.
Gonzalez mobilized the bullpen and turned to Anthony Varvaro, as well as the usual suspects Eric O’Flaherty, Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel, to hold the Nationals with four scoreless innings.
None of the “big three” have given up an earned run since June.
“Here is how this game of ours is so screwed up,” Gonzalez said. “I’m thinking [Beachy] is cruising along pretty good, Venters and O’Flaherty haven’t pitched in four days. Kimbrel hasn’t pitched in three. We’ve got a day off tomorrow. How am I going to get these guys work? Next thing you know bang, boom, bang.”
Even weirder was how well it worked out.
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