Let’s Play Two: Braves kick off Nats series with doubleheader

This afternoon begins a four game series of two teams that appear to be going in opposite directions, as the Braves and Nationals are set to slug it out in the nation’s capital. Half of the games in this series will be played today, with the day game making up the July 21 rainout.

Before the season, this upcoming Braves-Nationals series looked like it might be just another pebble in the road for the Nats as they stormed their way to a division title. Instead, they will desperately need a strong performance to keep from falling out of contention in the National League East.

For the Braves, this series is just another opportunity for its youthful roster to not only prove that it was worthy of…