(My Sportsbook) - With their room for error dwindling by the day, the wild card hopeful Washington Nationals must pick up the pace as they finish up a three-game series against the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves at RFK Stadium.

Washington is four games behind wild card leader Houston after dropping a 4-0 decision to the Braves on Saturday afternoon. Livan Hernandez (15-7) absorbed the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits over eight innings. He also walked three.

Deivi Cruz and Ryan Church registered two hits apiece for the Nationals, who managed just six in the contest.

Washington, which is in the middle of a huge 10-contest homestand, is 40-31 in its friendly confines.

Atlanta starting pitcher Jorge Sosa (11-3), meanwhile, bolstered his already impressive campaign, pitching eight innings of shutout ball. The Dominican righthander struck out three and walked none, scattering six hits.

Kyle Farnsworth pitched a perfect ninth to close out the game.

Andruw Jones tied a franchise record for single-season home runs with his 47th and rookie Brian McCann added a three-run shot in the game. Jones hit his league-leading 47th home run with one out in the fourth inning, tying him for the most homers by a Brave in a single season with Eddie Mathews (1953) and Hank Aaron (1971). Jones is three homers shy of 300 for his career.

Atlanta, which is in the early stages of a 10-game road trip, is 34-36 in foreign buildings this season. The Braves are six contests ahead of second place Florida in the NL East.

Atlanta will send ace righthander John Smoltz to the hill this afternoon. Smoltz is 2-0 over his last six starts, including an impressive effort versus the New York Mets on Tuesday. The 38-year-old held the Mets to just seven hits and a run through seven innings, while fanning two and walking one in a win. Smoltz has allowed four or fewer runs in each of his last six starts.

Smoltz has dominated the Nationals/Expos in his career, going 15-7 with a 2.49 ERA. This season, Smoltz is 1-0 with a 3.33 ERA in four outings versus Washington.

The Nationals will utilize a bullpen-by-committee effort this afternoon, beginning with righthander Jason Bergmann on the mound. Bergmann, a rookie from New Jersey, has made seven relief appearances since joining the Nationals, allowing just two earned runs over 9 2/3 innings of work. The Rutgers product has yet to allow a run in five career innings versus Atlanta.

These teams have split 18 meetings this season.