Just a few days after they got swept in Dunedin, the Braves are looking to do some sweeping of their own in D.C. as they take on the Nationals for the final game of this six-game road trip.
As far as the pitching is concerned, all eyes are squarely on Drew Smyly as he’ll be taking the mound as today’s starter for the Braves. Simply put, he absolutely has to get going because he’s gone from being unlucky in his first start of the season to being just plain dreadful in his most recent start. He’s already given up seven more home runs (9 home runs allowed so far) over four starts this season than he did over seven starts (2 home runs allowed) in 2020, so obviously the key is to find a way to keep the Nationals inside of the ballpark.