The Atlanta Braves host the Washington Nationals on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET and you can catch the live action online. Tim Hudson takes the mound and this time he hopes either the Braves score a ton of runs or the bullpen can hold the victory for him as he once again goes after victory 200 of his career.
The Nationals can't seem to get the Braves in 2013. They are 0-4 against them so far in this young season. Stephen Strasburg gives them decent outings, but the Braves' pitching finds a way to hold and yesterday it was the youngster, Julio Teheran with his second consecutive decent start that somehow managed to hold the Nationals to a single run.
Gio Gonzalez takes the hill for the Nationals and he looked more like himself in his previous start. He went eight innings, allowed just one run while striking out seven. In his previous start against Atlanta, Gonzalez was rocked for seven runs over five innings pitched. If he wants to win this one, Gonzalez will have to go beyond five innings and allow way less than seven runs. For some reason though, he hasn't pitched well against the Braves in his short time in the National League. He has a career 2-3 record with a 6.08 ERA against the Braves.
So far in 2013, but Gonzalez and Hudson have identical numbers: 2-1 records with a 4.50 ERA. Though runs have been distributed differently through their first five starts of the year, both have given up 14 earned runs through 28 innings pitched. In his last start against the Nationals, Hudson went seven innings allowing just one earned run with no walks and three strikeouts.
The good news for the Nationals is that the Braves are 0-2 in Hudson's last starts. The Pittsburgh Pirates jumped all over him and then Craig Kimbrel couldn't hold on to a ninth inning lead and the Braves lost the game.