Washington @ Atlanta Preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 29, 2015 ) Washington 1, Atlanta 2

The season can not end soon enough for the beleaguered Washington Nationals. The predominant favorite to win the National League East, Washington has sandwiched six losses in its last eight outings around an embarrassing dugout incident heading into the second contest of a three-game series with the host Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.

Bryce Harper, who was on the wrong end of a chokehold by closer Jonathan Papelbon, went hitless in the Nationals' 2-1 loss on Monday. The NL MVP front-runner has feasted on Braves' pitching this season (23-for-57 with six homers, 15 RBIs and 21 runs scored) and belted a three-run homer in his lone meeting with Wednesday starter Williams Perez. While the Nationals stumbled down the stretch, the Braves skidded to three wins in 16 games before Tuesday's series-opening victory. A.J. Pierzynski recorded his sixth career multi-homer contest with a pair of solo shots and is riding both a seven-game hitting streak and a four-game run-scoring stretch.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), SportSouth (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Jordan Zimmermann (13-9, 3.68 ERA) vs. Braves RH Williams Perez (6-6, 5.04)

Zimmermann suffered his first loss since Aug. 12 after getting blitzed for six runs on as many hits - including three homers - in five innings of an 8-2 setback to Philadelphia on Friday. The 29-year-old has been taken deep 12 times in his last eight outings after surrendering 12 homers in his previous 24. Zimmermann looks to get back on track versus Atlanta, against which he is 3-0 in five meetings this season and owns a 7-2 career mark with a 2.52 ERA.

Perez has turned it around following a disastrous August, posting a 2-1 mark with a 3.64 ERA in five starts this month. The 24-year-old Venezuelan walked away with a no-decision last Wednesday after allowing two runs on seven hits in six innings against the New York Mets. Perez was throttled in his lone career meeting with Washington, permitting four runs on two hits in one-third of an inning in relief.

WALK-OFFS

1. Washington OF Jayson Werth has launched a homer among his four hits in the last three games after an 0-for-12 stretch in his previous three contests.

2. Atlanta SS Andrelton Simmons has hit safely in six straight games and eight of his last nine.

3. Nationals SS Ian Desmond is 7-for-15 with a homer, two RBIs and two runs scored during his four-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Nationals 4, Braves 2