Atlanta @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 2, 2013 ) Washington 3, Atlanta 6

The Washington Nationals carried World Series dreams into April, but begin the first full week of August needing a sweep of the Atlanta Braves to keep their flickering National League East hopes alive. The Nationals trail Atlanta by 12 1/2 games as they open a three-game home series with the Braves on Monday. Stephen Strasburg starts the opener for Washington, which has scored two runs or less in 14 of the right-hander’s 21 starts this season.

Mike Minor goes for his career-high 12th victory for the red-hot Braves, who have won 10 games in a row to match a season high and swept Philadelphia to push the Phillies 16 ½ back in the division. Atlanta has scored four runs or more nine times during its winning streak, and the Braves are getting healthy again. Center fielder B.J. Upton returned to the lineup Saturday and contributed two hits in Sunday’s 4-1 victory.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), MASN (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves LH Mike Minor (11-5, 2.75 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (5-9, 3.04)

Minor appears back on track, winning three of his past four starts after a five-start winless streak. The left-hander has pitched seven or more innings in each of his past four outings, going 3-1 with a 1.55 ERA and 26 strikeouts against just three walks in 29 innings. Six of his 11 victories have come on the road, where Minor has posted a 2.47 ERA in 10 starts.

Strasburg is winless in his past four starts, going 0-3 with a 5.63 ERA and 15 earned runs allowed in 24 innings. The right-hander surrendered five runs in seven innings of a 5-1 loss Tuesday at Detroit, pushing his ERA above 3.00 for the first time since May 11. He is 0-1 with two no-decisions and a 1.93 ERA in three starts against Atlanta this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Washington has dropped three of its past five and is 6-10 since the All-Star break.

2. Atlanta 3B Chris Johnson has hit safely in 12 of his past 13 games and leads the NL in batting at .346.

3. The Nationals placed RHP Ross Ohlendorf on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation, recalling LHP Xavier Cedeno from Triple-A Syracuse.

PREDICTION: Braves 3, Nationals 2