MLB playoff races: Braves-Nats, Dodgers-Giants get week started
The Atlanta Braves visit the Washington Nationals for three games in the nation’s capital. Atlanta trails the Nats by five games in the National League East. On the other side of the country, the San Francisco Giants visit the rival Los Angeles Dodgers for three. The Dodgers hold a half-game lead in the NL West.
The Nationals have shuffled their rotation so that one of the NL’s best pitchers can go against the Braves. Jordan Zimmermann will start Monday against Tim Hudson (12-4, 3.59 ERA). Zimmermann leads the NL with a 2.38 ERA, and Washington has won six of his last seven starts.
The second game of the series will be just as tough on Atlanta as the Nats throw Stephen Strasburg (14-5, 2.91). Ross Detwiler (7-5, 3.25) will start Wednesday’s finale. Detwiler allowed one earned run
over seven innings against the Braves on July 22.
Washington is 8-4 against Atlanta this season.
The Dodgers go into their series having won 11 of their last 16 and six of their last eight. They’ve done it with strong offense, averaging more than five runs a game in that stretch, and good pitching, posting a 3.07 ERA in that time.
Hanley Ramirez, the team’s big trade deadline acquisition, is hitting .313/.374/.521 with an .895 OPS, four home runs and 27 RBIs in 23 games with the Dodgers. Another deadline pickup, outfielder Shane Victorino, took awhile to get going but has scored 11 runs and driven in seven in his last 11 games, all out of the leadoff spot.
The Giants are just 7-5 in their last 12 games despite an offense that is producing at a .301/.362/.430 clip in that period. The starting pitching has been the main culprit, with a 4.50 ERA.
San Francisco’s offense has been OK since Melky Cabrera was suspended for the rest of the regular season for testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone, but it’ll face reigning Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw in Monday’s series opener. In Wednesday’s finale, it’ll get left-hander Chris Capuano, who has allowed five earned runs in his last 22 1/3 innings (2.02 ERA), covering three starts.
