The presence of a pennant race in the National League East will be determined over the next 10 days, when the division-leading Atlanta Braves and second-place Washington Nationals meet seven times.
The drama begins on Thursday when the teams begin a four-game series at Atlanta's SunTrust Park. The Braves open the series holding a seven-game lead.
The matchup for the opener features Atlanta left-hander Max Fried (15-4, 4.05 ERA) against veteran Washington right-hander Stephen Strasburg (16-5, 3.47). The two pitchers rank second and first, respectively, in wins in the National League.