Taking away a prize is always nice when you can’t have the prize yourself
No matter what year it is, there always seems like there is one team that has something to fight for as the season draws to an end, while there is another team that knows they will be sitting at home during the postseason and really has nothing to play for. Except, cause havoc for another team.
Most of the time as well these two teams face off over the last few weeks of the season. The team that has something to fight for can either be looking to make the postseason, be fighting to win the division, or one of the most prized possessions, home-field advantage for the postseason.
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As it comes to be, that is happening this season between the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals. The Braves know that in a few short weeks, they will be sitting at home waiting for spring training to roll around. The Nationals, however, know they are going to be in the postseason, but have a shot at home field advantage for this postseason.
Guess what?
The Braves face the Nationals three times more times this season. AND we just took two out of three from them at their home park.
Braves Have Played Well Against Nationals This Year
Home field advantage is on the line for the Nationals over these last few weeks of the year because the Los Angeles Dodgers, who appeared to be running away from everyone in baseball a few weeks ago, had lost twelve straight games before winning back to back games the past two nights.
Right now, the NL standings look like this…
LA Dodgers 94-52
Washington Nationals 89-57
Chicago Cubs 80-66
WC – Arizona Diamondbacks 85-62
WC – Colorado Rockies 80-67
Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals are both still in it and sit at 77-69 right now
The NL Central, the home field advantage and WC home field are really the only things left in play in the next two and a half weeks.
The Nats are five games behind the Dodgers for that NL home-field advantage. Wouldn’t it be nice to play a part in the Nats not getting this? I’d say so!
This year, the Nationals have beat the Braves eight times and the Braves have won eight times. However, the Braves have outscored the Nationals 95-75 over those sixteen games.
BUT…the rumor is that Bryce Harper is returning shortly.
The Braves and Nats play again on September 19th, 20th, and 21st at SunTrust Park.
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So what do the Braves have for the Nationals over the next week and a half? Hopefully, it will be good games and the Braves very well could be the spoiler for the Nationals, keeping them away from home field advantage.