Looking to complete the first series sweep over their division foe in more than three years, the visiting Atlanta Braves will meet the Washington Nationals in the finale of a four-game set on Wednesday afternoon.
Atlanta (69-83) has followed a four-game losing streak with four straight victories, including two over Washington in a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday.
Nearing mathematical elimination from National League postseason contention, the Braves have been playing for 2026 for the bulk of the second half of the regular season. Nonetheless, a win on Wednesday would match Atlanta’s longest winning streak of the year and clinch its first sweep of Washington since July 8-10, 2022.
The Braves received 15 innings across two games from their starting pitchers on Tuesday. Jose Suarez threw seven strong innings in the opening game of the doubleheader before Chris Sale tossed eight scoreless frames in the nightcap.
Hoping to continue that trend is right-hander Hurston Waldrep (4-1, 2.78 ERA), who will make his ninth appearance and eighth start of the season on Wednesday.
After being called up in August out of necessity for an Atlanta pitching staff that placed all five of its season-opening starters on the injured list, Waldrep was impressive before suffering his worst outing of the year Friday in his most recent appearance.
Waldrep, 23, allowed eight runs on eight hits across 4 2/3 innings in an 11-3 loss to the Houston Astros.
“I think he handled it fine. I don’t think he ever gave in or anything; I just don’t think it was working for him,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Waldrep’s rough start. “His splitter was kind of up in the zone, and when that pitch is up in the zone, it’s going to get wacked. His command wasn’t real good, but you’re going to have that sometimes.”
Waldrep has faced Washington once in his career, in his major league debut. He permitted seven runs in 3 2/3 innings in an 8-5 loss on June 9, 2024.
The Nationals (62-90) won seven of eight games to begin September but have since dropped six of eight.
Since interim manager Miguel Cairo took over for the fired Dave Martinez in July, the club is 25-37. A bounce-back win for Washington on Wednesday would at least ensure the team avoids the dreaded 100-loss mark.
“We had a chance to finish, and it didn’t happen,” Cairo said of the Nationals’ 5-0 loss to the Braves in 10 innings on Tuesday night. “They came back and closed the game. It goes like that sometimes, and there’s nothing you can do about it. You just have to come back tomorrow and keep fighting.”
Right-hander Brad Lord (5-8, 4.21 ERA) is slated to make his 46th appearance and 17th start of his rookie season for Washington in the series finale.
After struggling through an August that saw him post a 7.06 ERA in six starts, Lord has gone 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in September. The 25-year-old allowed three runs in six innings in a no-decision against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. Washington won 6-5.
He is 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA in three relief outings against Atlanta this season.
–Field Level Media
