Washington @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 22, 2012 ) Atlanta 5, Washington 1

The Atlanta Braves may have frittered away their chance of winning the National League East title, but they can move closer to locking down the top wild card spot when they host the division-leading Washington Nationals on Friday in the opener of a three-game series. The Braves are coming off a three-game sweep in Milwaukee that dropped them 8 1/2 games behind the Nationals with only 18 to play, but they managed to maintain a five-game lead over St. Louis in the wild card chase.

Washington is coming off a three-game sweep at the New York Mets that boosted its record to a major league-best 89-54 and kept the team 2 1/2 games ahead of Cincinnati for the top seed in the NL playoffs. The move to shut down Stephen Strasburg has not affected the Nationals, who have won nine of 11 to widen their division lead. Atlanta needs to get its offense untracked after scoring only three runs in Milwaukee and being held to three runs or fewer in eight of its last nine.

TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), PTV (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals LH Ross Detwiler (9-6, 3.23 ERA) vs. Braves RH Kris Medlen (8-1, 1.64)

Detwiler has had mixed results in four starts against the Braves this season. He has pitched well in two outings in Washington, but the 26-year-old lefty has struggled in Atlanta, allowing seven runs in 11 innings in a pair of no-decisions. He lasted only five innings last time out against Miami, giving up five runs - three earned - but did not factor in the decision after winning his previous two starts.

The decision to put Medlen in the bullpen at the start of the season while he worked his way back from Tommy John has paid off magnificently. Medlen has won six consecutive starts and seven straight decisions. He has allowed more than one run only once in his eight starts, that coming in his last outing when he limited the Mets to two runs on four hits in six innings. He threw seven scoreless innings against Washington on Aug. 22.

WALK-OFFS

1. Nationals 3B Ryan Zimmerman is riding a 16-game hitting streak and franchise-record nine-game RBI streak.

2. The Braves had 20 hits in the three-game set against Milwaukee and only one went for extra bases - Jason Heyward's 26th homer on Wednesday.

3. Washington's magic number for clinching the division title is 11, and just five for wrapping up a postseason berth.