Nationals vs. Braves

[Falconsfan567]

Nats to be tested out of the second-half gate

Braves challenge with Hudson as Washington visits Atlanta

By John Schlegel / MLB.com | 7/10/2011 7:22 PM ET

By standing exactly at .500 exiting the All-Star break, the Nationals have emerged as the surprise story of the season in the National League East and beyond. They'll be tested by a division foe right out of the gates when they return to action.

The Braves, who will host Washington for a three-game set starting Friday, have the second-most victories at the proverbial halfway point of the season with 54, behind -- you guessed it -- the division-leading Phillies.

It'll be Livan Hernandez meeting Tim Hudson at Turner Field in a matchup of right-handers to get the second half started with an NL East meeting not many would have predicted before the season would include two teams with first-half success behind them.

Nationals manager Davey Johnson knows a tough division when he sees one, and he definitely sees one in the NL East.

"I consider the National League East a really tough division, just like the American League East," said Johnson, who managed the Orioles in the AL East in 1996 and '97. "I compare those two divisions and I've been in both of them. ... The Phillies are further along. Atlanta has been there forever -- they're further along. We're climbing."

Indeed. The last time the Nationals were .500 this late in the season was 2005, when they finished the year 81-81. Going forward, Johnson knows there are balances he'll have to strike as a team on the rise goes through the second half.

"I want to win every game -- that's the most important thing -- but everything is important to me that happens today, with an eye on tomorrow. I want the things that happen today to be a building block for tomorrow," he said. "At the end of the season, whether we make the playoffs or not, I want there to be very few questions going into the spring."

There can be little question the Braves are where they'd like to be in terms of their record, their lopsided loss at Philadelphia just before the All-Star break notwithstanding. Their 54 wins at the break are the most since 2002, and the seventh-most since 1966.

And now it appears their top acquisition of the offseason is getting into a groove, getting closer to where he'd like to be. After struggling most of the first half, second baseman Dan Uggla doubled Sunday and has hit safely in six consecutive games, including three homers.

"I don't think he allowed any of that stuff to really change who he is. He always seems like the same guy to me," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "We all want to do better. But he never did anything different other than play hard throughout this whole first half. The home runs and RBIs will be where we expected them to be at the end of this season."

Nationals: Rookie duo powerful as they come

Entering the break, second baseman Danny Espinosa and catcher Wilson Ramos have combined for the most homers of any team's rookie duo so far this season, with 24. Espinosa has 16 and Ramos has eight, combining for two more than the Angels' Mark Trumbo (17) and Hank Conger (five).

Espinosa's 16 before the break is the most by a rookie second baseman, and he matched Arizona's Kelly Johnson for the most by any second baseman this season. With seven as a catcher (one came as a first baseman), Ramos is well on his way to eclipsing Brian Schneider's 10 in 2005 for the most by a Washington Nationals catcher.

Braves: Prado to take over at third

With Chipper Jones on the disabled list following successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, the Braves considered pushing Martin Prado's return up to before the break, but decided against it.

"We talked about that, bringing him back for two days," Gonzalez said. "But we don't want to rush him. We'll give him a couple extra games, and he'll be ready to go on Friday."

Prado, sidelined since he was diagnosed with a staph infection June 9, will be activated before the opener vs. the Nationals and will take over Jones' spot at third base, likely batting second in the everyday lineup.

Worth noting

• Atlanta begins the second half of the season by playing 20 consecutive games, taking the field every day from Friday through Aug. 3.

• The Braves remain one win away from becoming just the third team in Major League history to win 10,000 games. They'll join the Giants and Cubs.

[The Don™]

Prado hopefully back in the 2 hole

Gonzo back to 7th

[Falconsfan567]

Prado hopefully back in the 2 hole

Gonzo back to 7th

We can only hope but knowing Fredi he will probably put Prado 3rd and bump everyone back a spot. But I love McCann hitting 3rd. I love knowing that he'll get to hit in the 1st inning and the offense seems to score more runs when he's batting 3rd. Freddie Freeman is killing it right now too. It would be hard to move him out of that cleanup spot.

Also I saw that stat that said Uggla was batting over .350 during his 6-game hitting streak.

[ATL Fan in the DMV]

Can we move Schafer out of the leadoff spot, too? Ew.

Prado's return will add some punch to the lineup while stabilizing it as well (getting Gonzo out of the #2 spot).

[Jimsmusic™]

we'll be getting that 10K win first game after ASB

[The Don™]

The Braves plan to activate Martin Prado from the disabled list Friday for the second-half opener against the Nationals, barring any problems Thursday night in Double-A Mississippi.

Prado has missed 31 games recovering from staph infection surgery in his right calf.

"Prado is good, really, really good," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said at Thursday's workout at Turner Field. "His legs feel great. If nothing unforeseen happens in (Thursday night's) game, he'll be ready to go (Friday) and play third base."

Prado will move from left field to play third base until Chipper Jones returns from the disabled list. He'll also give the Braves a lift in the top of the order, where Gonzalez plans to hit him second.

"He's a good player and he's going to make our team better," Jones said. "You need your class clowns. You also need your intensity guys and he's one of our intensity guys, not to mention he's an All-Star. So it'll be almost like getting a free agent pickup after the All-Star break."

Prado went 4-for-21 (.190) with two RBIs in the first seven games of his minor league rehabilitation – six games with Triple-A Gwinnett and his first game Wednesday night in Mississippi.

Moylan begins throwing

Reliever Peter Moylan played catch Thursday for the first time since surgery for a herniated disc on May 17. He's eight weeks into what is typically a 12-week recovery. If all goes well he could be back in mid-August.

"I guess with no setbacks it would be a month to five weeks," Moylan said of building back his arm strength. "I don't know how quickly they're going to want to push me. But I haven't felt anything in my back. It feels amazing."

[Dharma Initiative]

Can we move Schafer out of the leadoff spot, too? Ew.

Prado's return will add some punch to the lineup while stabilizing it as well (getting Gonzo out of the #2 spot).

Yes, that position leaves much desire for improvement

[The Don™]

1. Schafer CF

2. Prado 3B

3. Heyward RF

4. Freeman 1B

5. Uggla 2B

6. Ross C

7. McLouth LF

8. Gonzalez SS

9. Hudson

Prado back in 2 hole. Gonzo down where he belongs. Odd that Mac is out. Heyward and Uggla gotta make a statement in the second half. This first game back wouldn't be a bad place to start making that statement...

[sdogg]

Heyward and Uggla hold the key on how good or bad this season ends.

[K26dp]

I'd prefer Prado back in the #1 spot and either Heyward or McLouth at #2, but at least Gonzalez is out of the top half of the line-up.

[slamee101]

1. Schafer CF

2. Prado 3B

3. Heyward RF

4. Freeman 1B

5. Uggla 2B

6. Ross C

7. McLouth LF

8. Gonzalez SS

9. Hudson

Prado back in 2 hole. Gonzo down where he belongs. Odd that Mac is out. Heyward and Uggla gotta make a statement in the second half. This first game back wouldn't be a bad place to start making that statement...

[Unknøwn]

DOB tweeted Ross is Hudsons personal catcher now

[Jimsmusic™]

if Huddy has a good game we win Period.

cant see it.. gotta do something tonight, hope we get that 10K win

[ATL Fan in the DMV]

DOB tweeted Ross is Hudsons personal catcher now

If this is anything similar to Fredi G's declaration that Ross would be JJ's personal catcher earlier this season, it won't last very long.

But while it does, at least it gives Ross playing time since Fredi retardedly refuses to use such a good RH pinch hitter off the bench.

[=abrahamburger=]

:lol:

[Unknøwn]

If this is anything similar to Fredi G's declaration that Ross would be JJ's personal catcher earlier this season, it won't last very long.

But while it does, at least it gives Ross playing time since Fredi retardedly refuses to use such a good RH pinch hitter off the bench.

Thats pretty common though to not use your only other catcher in case of injury

[dmite]

if Huddy has a good game we win Period.

cant see it.. gotta do something tonight, hope we get that 10K win

Ah, that's why McCann's not in there. That's funny, because David was ripping on Huddy when he had that spill on the mound 1 or 2 weeks ago.

Edited July 15, 2011 by dmite

[ATL Fan in the DMV]

Thats pretty common though to not use your only other catcher in case of injury

I understand that. But he DOES have an emergency catcher in Conrad. And since Ross is a RH bench bat that can hit lefties, something we don't have, he needs to find a way to give the man more than 2 PH AB's all year.

[ATL Fan in the DMV]

Oh c'mon Hudson. Please don't let it be this version of you we get today...

[Cable Guy]

Great start by the offense

[dvt5045]

LOL at the Nats defense

[Gritzblitz 2.0]

Good piece of hitting by Uggla there. He stayed in well on that curveball. All season long he's be flying open and missing the breaking ball.

The Nats are really giving us gifts in the first.

[ATLBrave]

Kinda mad I can't watch the game right now, hopefully this will be a trend for our offense from here on out.

[Joremarid]

looking great

[ATL Fan in the DMV]

The only qualm I have with our first inning is that Snitker should have held Ross at third. The single by Gonzo got to the LF almost at the same time Ross was just hitting third base.