Tonight's Top 5:
5. Tim Hudson on The Nats: Tonight's Braves' starter Tim Hudson was on Sirius/XM's MLB Network Radio show "The Power Alley" with Jim Duquette and Kevin Kennedy on Thursday afternoon when he was asked about his opponent tonight, the Washington Nationals, and according to the 34-year-old right-hander who is (2-0) in 4 starts against the Nats this season and (10-1) in 17 starts against the franchise over the course of his 12-year MLB career, the Nats are still, "...a fairly young club...they're still learning their way through the big leagues and they definitely improved from last year and every time we've played them this year, they seem like they've gotten better every time," but the Nats still haven't figured out how to beat the right-hander since they last took a game with Hudson on the mound on June 5, 2006 when Marlon Anderson, Nick Johnson, Brian Schneider, Livan Hernandez and Jose Vidro combined to put together a 5-run inning in a 5-4 Nats' win over Atlanta...
4. SHAKE N BAKE!! SHAKE N BAKE!!!: Adam Dunn's 36th HR of 2010 gives the Nats a 1-0 lead early. Hudson throws the big middle-of-the-order bat a 1-0 fastball low and away and the soon-to-be free agent straightens it out and drives it over the center field wall, halfway up the batter's eye grass and off a Red Porch railing for a massive HR, his first since the last time the Braves and Nats met on 9/14 and only his third this month in 17 games and 58 at bats after a 9-HR August. The Nats load the bases with two down, but Danny Espinosa's first-pitch swinging and he grounds back to the mound. 1-0 Nats after two.
3. E: 121: The Braves have only one runner on through 3.0 scoreless innings by Jordan Zimmermann, who hits ATL outfielder Matt Diaz to put the first runner on, then throws a pickoff attempt by Dunn at first for Zimmermann's 2nd error of 2010 and the Nationals' 121st, which ties them for the league lead with the Chicago Cubs. An Omar Infante groundout ends the third without any damage, and the Nats' 24-year-old right-hander is through 3.0 with 1-0 lead.
2. SHAKE N BAKE!! SHAKE N BAKE!!!: Dunn does it again!! And the crowd, or at least a portion of it in the upper deck breaks out in a "Sign Adam Dunn" chant that momentarily catches on...0-1 pitch from Hudson this time, and out to left into the visitor's bullpen for some OPPO-BOPPO action on Dunn's 37th of the year and second tonight. It's Dunn's 6th multi-HR game of the season, 30th overall in his career according to the voice in the press box, and it's a 3-0 lead on Hudson for the Nats.
1. No No-No For Zimmermann: After 4.1 hitless, the Braves finally put a runner on with a hit when Martin Prado singles through short off Jordan Zimmermann. A one-out walk to Brian McCann follows and another single through short, this time by Derrek Lee, loads the bases for Nate McLouth. Zimmermann gets up 0-2 on Nate McLouth and throws a heater by him up high. Two down. Alex Gonzalez grounds weakly to third and Alberto Gonzalez steps on the bag to end the Braves' fourth, still 3-0 Nats. Make that 3-1 Nats after Omar Infante launches a two-out solo blast off the left field foul pole in the top of the fifth. Zimmermann strikes Jayson Heyward out with a 95mph full-count fastball. That's it for Zimmermann who's replaced by Tyler Clippard in the sixth after: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K's, 1 HBP, 83 pitches, 56 for strikes...
-1. Pudge Walks, Yes Walks: Pudge walks, yes walks to start the Nats' sixth and then he runs as Alberto Gonzalez singles through second. Perfect hit and run by the Nats. Tyler Clippard stays in to hit, or more accurately bunt, and he gets a successful sac down. Second and third for Danny Espinosa. The Braves give him an intentionals pass to load'em up for Roger Bernadina, who lines out to center, deep enough for an RBI sac fly and a 4-1 Nats' lead. Ian Desmond walks and Adam Dunn's up with two down and the bases loaded. Full count, and Dunn rips a low liner through the shift. Two runs score. "Sign Adam Dunn!" chants break out in Nats Park. 6-1 Nats on Dunn's 100th and 101st RBI's.
-2. TAWH!!! ITPHR!!!: Willie Harris works the count full against Braves' right-hander Kyle Farnsworth and launches a long fly ball to center that Nate McLouth tracks to the wall but...misses. The ball bounces off the fence between the 402ft marker and the GEICO sign and gets away from McLouth. Harris rounds second and he gets waved home by third base coach Pat Listach. The throw home is off line, Harris slides in headfirst with an inside the park HR. 7-1 Nats. The second inside the park HR in Nats' history. (1st: Austin Kearns - May 12, 2007.)
-3. E: 122: Adam Dunn's 12th error comes at a most inopportune moment, with runners on first and second and no outs recorded in the Braves' eighth. Nats' right-hander Joel Peralta gives up back-to-back singles to Eric Hinske and Omar Infante before Jason Heyward sends a sharp grounder to first that Dunn can't field. E: 112. Hinske scores, 7-2 Nats. Dunn's 12th error of 2010 is the Nats' 122nd and they're temporarily in the lead amongst MLB teams. Sean Burnett replaces Peralta and gives up a run, 7-3 on an RBI single by Brian McCann, but the Nats' lefty strikes D. Lee and Troy Glaus out to end the threat.
-4. Another E: Not on the Nats this time, Braves' closer Billy Wagner gives up a leadoff walk to Danny Espinosa in the Nats' eighth and then throws away a sac bunt attempt by Roger Bernadina allowing Spinner to score while Bernie takes third, 8-3 Nats on the Wagner E.
-5. Nats Win 4 In-A-Row: The Washington Nationals have won 3-straight eight times this season, but before Miguel Batista pitches a scoreless ninth to close out tonight's 8-3 win over the Braves they'd never nailed down that fourth curly-W: 1. Thursday, Apr 15 to Saturday, 2. Apr 17, Tuesday, Apr 27 to Friday, Apr 30, 3. Saturday, May 8 to Monday, May 10, 4. Tuesday, Jun 8 to Thursday, Jun 10, 5. Thursday, Jul 29 to Saturday, Jul 31, 6. Saturday, Aug 28 to Monday, Aug 30, 7. Saturday, Sep 4 to Monday, Sep 6 and Tuesday, 8. Sep 21 to Thursday, Sep 23...Now they have. Nats win. 4-straight: Tuesday Sep 21 to Friday, Sept 24.
• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...
• Final Score: Nats 8, Braves 3.