Heyward, Uptons Leave Nats to Krol Fate, Win 13th Straight 6-3

You just have to sit back and enjoy the ride.

The Uptons sure are. With seven hits combined tonight, they are both off to torrid starts in August. Combine that with the success that Jason Heyward is having, and the Braves outfield is finally starting to play like they were expected to at the beginning of the season.

After a rather boring start to the game leading to a 2-2 tie, the Nationals brought in Fernando Abad to face the top of the order. On a preliminary glance, it makes some sense as he would face three lefties with Justin Upton mixed in. After getting Heyward, Justin proved letting Fernando stay in was "Abad" decision (had to be done) and crushed a home run to take the lead 3-2.

Fredi quickly let the Nationals have it back by leaving Kris Medlen out there for the seventh. Medlen pitched well - 7 innings, 3 runs, 1 HR, 6 K, and 1 BB - but with a one-run lead and the top of the order up, it might have been a better idea to take him out. Still, Medlen looked very good in this one, and other than the two-batter issue in the 4th in which he walked Bryce Harper with two outs and served up a meatball to Jayson Werth for a two-run bomb, he looked like the Medlen we expected to see this season.

The Braves responded quickly, however. With two out in the top of the 8th, Andrelton Simmons busted out of a recent slump with a double, and Joey Terdoslavich walked. With Ian Krol in to face Heyward, Heyward rolled a single through the infield, and Justin Upton followed with a 2-run double to blow the game open.

[insert part ignoring 30+-pitch 9th from Craig Kimbrel where he loaded the bases]

The rest is, as they say, history, and so are the Nationals.

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