Washington @ Atlanta preview
Turner Field
Last Meeting ( Sep 14, 2010 ) Washington 6, Atlanta 0
The Atlanta Braves' dominance at Turner Field has kept them in the thick of the National League playoff race even when they haven't played their best.
They're counting on that home-field advantage to help them keep pace today when they wrap up a three-game series with the last-place Washington Nationals.
The Braves haven't lost a series at Turner Field - where they own the majors' best home record at 52-22 - since dropping two of three to Philadelphia from April 20-22.
They need a win today to keep that streak intact and to keep pace with the Phillies, whose two-game lead in the NL East is the largest deficit the Braves have faced since May 26. Atlanta leads the wild-card race by 1 1/2 games over San Francisco.
Atlanta wouldn't be there without the contributions of several rookies, including outfielder Jason Heyward and reliever Jonny Venters, and they turn to rookie pitcher Mike Minor in a big spot today.
The seventh overall pick in 2009, Minor (3-0, 5.62 ERA) earned his first major league win at the Nationals' expense Aug. 17 at Turner Field, holding them to two runs on five hits over six innings in a 10-2 victory.
After winning three consecutive starts at the end of August, Minor has struggled in each of his outings this month, though he hasn't factored in the decision in either game.
The 22-year-old left-hander allowed six runs over four innings in a 7-6 loss at Florida on Sept. 5, and he wasn't much better Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals, giving up four runs over five innings in an 8-6 victory.
The Nationals avoided a season-high seven-game losing streak by beating the Braves 6-0 on Tuesday, as Livan Hernandez and Sean Burnett combined on a five-hitter. Washington will hope to get more of the same when it sends John Lannan to the mound in search of his fourth consecutive quality start.
Lannan (7-7, 4.69 ERA) has been one of the Nationals' most consistent pitchers since returning from a stint in the minors at the beginning of August. In eight starts since Aug. 1, he is 5-2 with a 3.08 ERA, and he has allowed three runs or fewer in seven of those eight outings.
The Braves were one of his victims, as the 25-year-old left-hander held Atlanta to two runs and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings to earn the win in a 6-2 victory Aug. 19 at Turner Field.
Lannan is 4-4 with a 3.44 ERA in nine career starts against the Braves. Matt Diaz and Derrek Lee have fared well against him. Diaz is 8-for-19 (.421) and Lee is 4-for-11 (.364) with two home runs.