After a night that saw B.J. Upton be the hero of the game and Run D.M.C keep the party going, the Braves beat the Nationals in a less dramatic fashion by a final count of 6-3. The Braves are now 7-3 against the Nationals, have now won 34 games and have won 18 games at home. Pretty impressive if you ask me.

The Braves got it started in the first when Ramiro Pena launched a home run to give the Braves a 2-0 lead. The way he’s been playing as of late, it’d be really hard for him to not play more often than he does now. He’s had great at bats and has been a great infielder for the Braves at almost any position they put him in.

B.J. Upton continues to slowly, but hopefully surely, get better at the plate. After hitting the game winner last night, he followed that up with a solo shot to give the Braves a 3-2 lead. One might think last night would be the turning point for this abysmal season he’s had so far. But again, only time will tell.

Speaking of great performances, Paul Maholm shined bright again today. Maholm has been an outstanding pitcher at home and he proved his point again today. Today he went six innings of five-hit, three-run (two earned), no walks and four strike outs. This was a much needed bounce back game considering he wasn’t at his best in Toronto.

Craig Kimbrel was, well, Craig Kimbrel again.

The one thing I take away from this game that was a negative would be the RISP stat today. The Braves were 2-10 with runners in scoring position–not exactly something you hang your hat on. For the series, the Braves were 4-19 with RISP–again, not something you hang your hat on. Hopefully this stat will change when the Braves welcome in Pittsburgh Monday.

Follow Brad Stiene on Twitter @bs_kysco1