Atlanta @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 27, 2010 ) Atlanta 0, Washington 3

Having lost four of six to trim their lead in the NL East to 3 1/2 games, the Atlanta Braves need veteran right-hander Tim Hudson to be their stopper tonight.

He's certainly facing the right team to oblige them.

Hudson has been dominant against Washington, posting a 9-1 record and a 1.51 ERA in 15 starts against the Nationals, and the Braves need that trend to continue in the middle game of their three-game series Wednesday at Nationals Park.

The Braves are 5-6 since the All-Star break and have watched the surging Philadelphia Phillies cut their division lead in half over the past six days. They hope they have the right man on the mound to turn things around.

Hudson has won eight consecutive decisions against the Nationals dating back to 2006. In two starts against Washington this year, Hudson is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA, having allowed two runs over 14 innings. The win came June 28 in Atlanta, when he threw seven scoreless innings in a 5-0 victory.

Hudson (10-5, 2.47 ERA) beat the Padres on Thursday, holding them to four hits and a walk over seven scoreless innings, but he hasn't won consecutive decisions since winning five straight from May 1 to June 1.

Ivan Rodriguez (13-for-29, 2 HR, 8 RBIs) and Adam Dunn (9-for-22, 2 HR, 4 RBIs) are the only Nationals hitters who have had career success against Hudson.

Washington beat the Braves 3-0 in the series opener behind a strong start from Miguel Batista, who was pressed into his first start since 2008 when Stephen Strasburg was scratched after pregame warm-ups.

The shutout was the ninth of the season for the Braves, and the Nationals hope to make it 10 as they turn to their own reliable veteran in fellow 35-year-old right-hander Livan Hernandez.

Hernandez (7-6, 3.12 ERA) had gone five starts without a win before a complete-game victory at Cincinnati on Thursday in which he held the Reds to one run on seven hits while striking out five and walking none.

Hernandez beat the Braves on May 4 at Nationals Park, limiting them to two runs – one earned – over 5 1/3 innings in a 6-3 victory.

That was a rare glimmer of success against Atlanta. In 29 appearances against the Braves, Hernandez is 6-15 with a 5.16 ERA.

Braves third baseman Chipper Jones has done his part to contribute to that trend, hitting .353 with a homer and 15 RBIs against Hernandez.

Atlanta struggled on the road early in the season, and that trend has re-emerged during the current road trip, which the Braves have started by losing three of four.

The Braves sent struggling center fielder Nate McLouth to Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday, activating Brent Clevlen from his rehab assignment to take McLouth's spot. McLouth is hitting .168 in 62 games this season and was 1-for-15 since returning from the disabled list July 21.