Braves at Nats

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Nats open a six-game with the suddenly hot Braves, who come off a sweep of the Astros and are finally starting to pick it up. They're too good not to.

Livan Hernandez goes for the Nats against Kenshin Kawakami, who is 0-4 with a 5.48 ERA. Yunel Escobar probably won't play, as he left a game last Thursday with a left groin strain.

A Braves blogger: (Carroll Rogers)

So we’ll be seeing our old friends the Nats, who seem to give the Braves fits even when they’re not having good seasons, and so far, the Nationals are actually playing well. They are 13-12, tied with the Marlins in third place in the NL East only a game behind the Phillies. And that’s after losing two in a row to the Marlins.

The Braves went 10-8 against the Nationals last year after losing their last four in a row in the series. The Braves got swept in a four-game series at home against the Nationals to finish out last season. (I’m sure you’ve done your best to forget all about that one.)

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Nats take the opener 6-3. Livan STRUGGLED through five and a third innings, throwing an absurd 123 pitches in that span, but gets the win. He would consistently run counts high and then just miss the strike zone to walk Braves (5 BB total), but he got the job done-barely.

As forecast, Sean Burnett may be moved into a slightly expanded role beyond that of a left-handed specialist into more of a seventh inning guy. He pitched an inning after Hernandez and did the job, and Tyler Clippard "only" had to pitch 1.2 innings to follow. Clippard managed to do that in 23 pitches and was typically lights out.

Dunn had a monsterous solo blast of left-handed reliever Eric O'Flaherty that went upper deck in right-center. Ian Desmond and Hammer Willingham also had solo shots. Roger Bernadina had a terrible error on a liner in the first that led to a Braves run in the first, but he made up for it with a spectacular catch a couple innings later.

Capps gets another save after Batista promptly gives up a run in the ninth to make it a save situation.

14-12 with a tough game Wednesday versus Tommy Hanson. Game time 7:05 EDT and I will be giving a bleacher report on "Overtime With Bill Rohland" on 106.7 THE FAN.

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PS--Jason Heyward is a monster for the Braves. Batting sixth now, and after he hit a bomb off Livo the Nats didn't want to pitch to him, walking him intentionally once and being very careful the other time.

20-year old getting intentional walks, and still in the mid-innings too. Wow.

As good as Heyward is, that's how bad Melky Cabrera was tonight and most nights. Left a ton of runners on base.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd ... p&c_id=mlb

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Nats lose 7-6 in 10 in a fun game to watch. If you had told me Atilano would be as mediocre as he was, I would have told you the Nats didn't have a chance against Tommy Hanson. But they almost pulled out it.

Matt Capps gets the loss as he gives up a run in his second inning of work. Heyward leaves the game with a hurt groin.

I thought I was in Matt Diaz's head all night, calling him a platoon player who couldn't hit righties, but he summoned the power of his brother's Christian rock band and singled in the go-ahead run in the tenth, after a double his previous at-bat.

Nyjer Morgan had three hits but was caught stealing, again. Pudge continues his assault on Ted Williams with two hits. Been impressed thus far with Omar Infante this series filling in for Escobar for the Braves. Not just his homer today; he's shown pretty good range and ability at short.

Swing game Thursday with Hudson versus Olsen, who has been very good of late for the Nats. Good band in the Bullpen after--Kristen and the Noise of Dewey Beach fame.

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Great two out of three games from the Braves!