Washington @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 16, 2014 ) Washington 3, Atlanta 0

The Washington Nationals have 12 games to prepare for the National League playoffs, while the Atlanta Braves’ hopes of joining the newly minted NL East champions in the postseason are fading quickly. The Nationals wrap up a three-game series at Atlanta on Wednesday after winning the division title for the second time in three years with Tuesday’s 3-0 victory, dropping the Braves 5 1/2 games out of the final wild-card spot. Atlanta sits one game under .500 after five straight defeats, scoring only eight runs during its losing streak while falling to 3-11 in September.

A key area of focus for Washington as it gets ready for October is the rehabilitation of Ryan Zimmerman, out since July 22 with a torn right hamstring. Zimmerman doubled twice while playing three innings during a scrimmage game Tuesday and is scheduled to play first base, third base and left field during the next four days. The Braves are in dire straits after another miserable offensive showing Tuesday, and have scored two runs or less eight times this month.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals LH Gio Gonzalez (8-10, 3.79 ERA) vs. Braves LH Alex Wood (10-10, 2.83)

Gonzalez lost his final start of July and his first two starts of August, but has rebounded nicely in his past six starts. He is 2-1 since Aug. 16 and has not allowed more than three earned runs in any outing, striking out 31 while walking nine and holding opponents to a .228 batting average. Gonzalez, who led the majors with 21 victories in 2012, is trying to avoid his first sub-.500 campaign since going 6-7 with Oakland in 2009.

Wood has surrendered three earned runs in 14 innings across two September starts with 14 strikeouts, but only has a pair of no-decisions to show for it. The 23-year-old has been splendid in his past nine outings, posting a 1.88 ERA with 62 strikeouts and 18 walks in 62 1/3 innings. Wood, who has a 2.63 ERA in 22 starts this season, is 2-1 in three starts against Washington in 2014 with a 1.86 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Nationals have hit 59 homers in their past 43 games, ranking second to Baltimore in longballs since Aug. 1.

2. The Braves have scored two runs or less in 57 of their 151 games this season, losing 49 of those contests.

3. Washington RHP Drew Storen is 6-for-6 in save opportunities since replacing Rafael Soriano as closer on Sept. 7, allowing three hits with no walks and six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.

PREDICTION: Braves 2, Nationals 1