ATLANTA -- Given the amount of tough luck Alex Wood has encountered this year, there was certainly reason to wonder what might go wrong as he once again was given the task of working with limited support. But when he was backed into a corner on Sunday afternoon, the young Braves left-hander came out fighting with the confidence of a seasoned veteran.After Evan Gattis provided support with a solo home run off Marlins right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, Wood willed the Braves to a 1-0 victory that enabled them to remain unbeaten in each of their past five series. 
Wood was in complete command as he scattered five hits over eight scoreless innings and matched the career-high 12 strikeouts he notched against the Nationals on Aug. 11. He has a dazzling 1.86 ERA in his past seven starts.By taking a pair in the three-game set, the Braves moved back to within six games of the first-place Nationals. They are also just 1 1/2 games back in the battle to secure the National League's second Wild Card entry.Gattis showed his brute strength with the blast he sent into the left-center field seats to begin the second. But the most impressive accomplishment in the series finale came courtesy of Wood, who was staring at danger when he surrendered three straight singles to load the bases for top National League Most Valuable Player candidate Giancarlo Stanton in the sixth.Wood ended the suspense quickly with a three-pitch strikeout of Stanton. Then if there were any remaining questions about the composure of the 23-year-old hurler, they were answered as he then ended the threat by striking out Casey McGehee during a seven-pitch at-bat that was filled with questionable calls from plate umpire Hal Gibson.After getting through the seventh without any damage, Wood ended his 101-pitch outing with consecutive strikeouts of Reed Johnson and Christian Yelich.Just two years removed from college, Wood is nearing the end of his second full professional season in an impressive manner. The 10-10 record he has this year further validates any arguments against the notion of evaluating performances on a pitcher's record. This marked the 10th time Wood completed at least seven innings and allowed fewer than three runs. But the Braves had won just three of those previous nine games.Phil Gosselin accounted for three of the nine hits surrendered by Eovaldi in 6 2/3 innings and Freddie Freeman recorded a pair of hits that at least allowed him to forget that he has gone just 6-for-61 against the Marlins this year. But the only hit that mattered was the solo shot drilled by Gattis, who has homered four times in his past 46 at-bats.
Wood was in complete command as he scattered five hits over eight scoreless innings and matched the career-high 12 strikeouts he notched against the Nationals on Aug. 11. He has a dazzling 1.86 ERA in his past seven starts.By taking a pair in the three-game set, the Braves moved back to within six games of the first-place Nationals. They are also just 1 1/2 games back in the battle to secure the National League's second Wild Card entry.Gattis showed his brute strength with the blast he sent into the left-center field seats to begin the second. But the most impressive accomplishment in the series finale came courtesy of Wood, who was staring at danger when he surrendered three straight singles to load the bases for top National League Most Valuable Player candidate Giancarlo Stanton in the sixth.Wood ended the suspense quickly with a three-pitch strikeout of Stanton. Then if there were any remaining questions about the composure of the 23-year-old hurler, they were answered as he then ended the threat by striking out Casey McGehee during a seven-pitch at-bat that was filled with questionable calls from plate umpire Hal Gibson.After getting through the seventh without any damage, Wood ended his 101-pitch outing with consecutive strikeouts of Reed Johnson and Christian Yelich.Just two years removed from college, Wood is nearing the end of his second full professional season in an impressive manner. The 10-10 record he has this year further validates any arguments against the notion of evaluating performances on a pitcher's record. This marked the 10th time Wood completed at least seven innings and allowed fewer than three runs. But the Braves had won just three of those previous nine games.Phil Gosselin accounted for three of the nine hits surrendered by Eovaldi in 6 2/3 innings and Freddie Freeman recorded a pair of hits that at least allowed him to forget that he has gone just 6-for-61 against the Marlins this year. But the only hit that mattered was the solo shot drilled by Gattis, who has homered four times in his past 46 at-bats.
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