Kyle Taylor, Valdosta Today Sports
ATLANTA – One week ago the Atlanta Braves took on the Washington Nationals for a three game series in the nation’s capital. The Nationals swept the Braves and come into the series that started Tuesday night leading the division, and seven in front of the Braves.
The Braves finally got a win in Pittsburgh on Sunday after dropping five in a row on the road. Shelby Miller (5-3) took on Jordan Zimmerman (5-5) at Turner Field on Tuesday night.
The Braves fell once again the Nationals by a score of 6-1.
Washington got off to a 4-0 start in the top of the first inning off Miller, including a two-run homer off the bat of Clint Robinson (3).
Miller told MLB.com, “It puts us in a pretty big hole. You’re down 4-0 and you’re facing the Nationals, a team that has been playing well, not only against us, but just in general. It was just kind of a bad inning to happen there, especially the way Zimmerman went out there and threw.”
Shelby Miller would finish the game with five innings pitched, four earned runs on three walks, and ten strikeouts.
The Nationals went up 5-0 in the third after Wilson Ramos reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Danny Espinosa. That would be the end of the scoring until the ninth inning for either team.
Wilson Ramos once again was involved in a run-scoring play for the Nationals after grounding into a double play that scored Yunel Escobar. Atlanta avoided the shut out in the bottom of the ninth when Juan Uribe hit a home run off former Braves reliever, David Carpenter.
Freddie Freeman continues to be missed for the Braves offense, as they were unable to put together any kind of a run against Washington starter, Jordan Zimmerman.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez told MLB.com, “[Freddie Freeman] is a presence we’ve been missing and we’re going to miss it for a little while longer, so we’ve got to figure out how to score some runs.”
The Braves have now lost six of their last seven and will try to gain some ground back in the division on Wednesday night. Matt Wisler (1-1) will make another start against Washington in this one. Wisler only pitched four innings in his last start against the Nationals, after giving up four runs on nine hits.
Wisler will face Doug Fister (3-3), as the Braves catch a breath against some of the Nationals more dominate starters. Atlanta has had some success against Fister in two of his three starts against the team this season, but most recently losing in a game he pitched last Saturday at Nationals Park. Fister shut the Braves bats out in seven innings.
First pitch will come at 7:10 from Turner Field.
