The Atlanta Braves must have vacation plans in the month of October because the team is quickly playing their way out of the postseason as they are at risk of getting swept by the Washington Nationals on the road. Atlanta is headed down a bad path at the wrong time of the year. They have dropped three straight games while losing seven of their last 10. They are now nine games behind Washington in the National League East standings and 1 ½ games back from the Pittsburgh Pirates for the second wild card spot.
The Braves have found success against Stephen Strasburg in the past and hope history repeats itself on Wednesday. Facing the Nationals' ace is always a mixed bad. Strasburg is 0-2 with an 8.22 ERA in his last three starts against the Braves. The team hit him for seven runs back at the start of August. However, Strasburg has looked good since the loss. He is 3-0 with a 2.20 ERA, giving up just one run in his last four of five starts.
Strasburg will face the inconsistent bats of the Braves. The team found some offense on Tuesday, but it was too little, too late. The got in an 0-5 hole early. Justin Upton knocked out a two run home run, but that simply was not enough. He is currently hitting .171 in the last 12 games while Andrelton Simmons is just 3 for 30 in his last eight games.
The Braves will counter with Aaron Harang who is currently having his own struggles. The pitcher is in the midst of a three-game losing streak where he has put up a 7.98 ERA in the stretch. Harang is coming off a start where he gave up 10 hits for six runs in just over three innings to the Miami Marlins. Opponents are hitting .350 off the pitcher. However, the Nationals are not one of them. He has giving up just one run in each of his last two starts while Ian Desmond, Jayson Werth and Anthony Rendon are hitless against Harang in a combined 27 at-bats.
Desmond could be out this matchup as he is suffering from tightness in his lower back. He is on a six-game hit streak. Evan Gattis is expected to be out with strep throat.
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