Braves, Nationals Look For Wins

April 11, 2008 – 6:46 pm

The Braves (3-6) are looking to bounce back from a rough series in Colorado with a three-game set against the Washington Nationals (3-7).  The Braves have lost three straight while the Nationals, after having started 3-0, have lost their last seven games.  One of the two teams is looking to get headed back in the right direction this weekend.

Projected Starters:
Friday: Tim Hudson (0-0, 3.46, RHP) vs. Matt Chico (0-0, 5.56, LHP)
Tim Hudson had a great season against the Nationals in 2007, going 4-0 with a 0.60 ERA through 30 innings.  He didn’t fair quite as well on opening night, landing with a no decision on lack of run support from the offense.

Saturday: John Smoltz (1-0, 0.00, RHP) vs. John Lannan (0-0, 2.70, LHP)
John Smoltz is making his second start off of the disabled list, having pitched 5 scoreless innings against the Mets last weekend.  His shoulder and neck were still bothering him a little bit after that game so we’ll have to keep an eye on it through this game to see how he fairs.

Sunday: Tom Glavine (0-0, 0.79, LHP) vs. Tim Redding (0-0, 0.82, RHP)
In the battle of two strong starters that have yet to have a decision in a game this season, Tom Glavine and Tim Redding face off in a Sunday afternoon matchup.  This game should come down to which offense can get the bats going early and keep the offense coming throughout the game.

Offensive Matchup:
The Braves have struggled to get the offense going in the past few games, as have the Nationals, who have dropped 7 straight games.  It will be interesting to see if either team can end their offensive struggles in this series.  The key for the Braves offense is to start getting men on base earlier in the innings; we always seem to get them on base with two outs.

Prediction:
It’s hard to say how this series will go given that the teams combined have lost 10 in a row.  The critical point for the Braves’ success is to stop allowing opposing teams to get leadoff base runners.  Rough prediction: Braves 2, Nationals 1.

Tags: Series Preview, Washington Nationals
Posted in Series Previews |