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ATLANTA -- Fredi Gonzalez doesnt want to discuss the NL East standings. In fact, one mention of the Braves big lead in the division made Atlantas manager groan and complain "I dont even want to talk about that. Its June 2." Ramiro Pena and B.J. Upton hit home runs, Paul Maholm won his third straight decision and Atlanta beat the Washington Nationals 6-3 on Sunday to stretch their lead in the NL East. The Braves won two of three from the Nationals and lead Washington by 6.5 games -- the biggest advantage for any first-place team in the majors. Atlanta is 15-6 against NL East teams, including 7-3 against the Nationals. "Its big," said Upton of winning the series against the Nationals. "We know theyre a team thats going to be around all year. They have a good ballclub. Its good to win games against a team like that." The Nationals (28-29) fell below .500 for the first time since they were 13-14 on April 30. It may seem early in the season to Atlantas Gonzalez, but Washingtons Adam LaRoche said its late for the Nationals to be scuffling around .500. "We deserve to be where were at right now," LaRoche said. "Weve played like crap. And were still not in awful shape. "That only goes so far. Were pretty deep into the season, so weve got to get it going or we wont be there at the end. I dont sense any panic, anybody stressing over it, but itd be nice to pick it up." Washington manager Davey Johnson said the teams sagging offence could get a lift as outfielder Jayson Werth is expected to come off the 15-day disabled list for Tuesdays start of a home series against the Mets. "Theres still plenty of time," Johnson said. "We can right the ship and get things going in the right direction. Weve still got plenty of time. "The offence is just sputtering a little bit. Itll be good to get Jayson back. Our guys are certainly capable. Theyve just got to start doing it. Thats all. Its that simple." Ian Desmond hit a homer for Washington in the sixth inning to cut Atlantas lead to 4-3. Freddie Freeman answered with a bases-loaded, two-run double in the bottom of the inning. Paul Maholm (7-4) allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits in six innings. Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth for his 17th save. Washington rookie Nathan Karns (0-1) gave up four runs, three earned, on seven hits in 4 2-3 innings. Karns allowed two homers. He has given up four homers in his two starts. Upton, who had the game-winning hit in the Braves 2-1 win over the Nationals in 10 innings on Saturday night, hit a second-inning homer off Karns to give Atlanta a 3-2 lead. The two-game surge was much-needed for Upton, who has RBIs in back-to-back games for only the second time this season. "Good for him," Gonzalez said. "His at-bats keep getting better and better and better. Thats the B.J. Upton that we want to see. Its good that hes coming along. "Hopefully hell run off 10 or 12 games like this." The Braves led 2-0 before Karns recorded an out. Ryan Zimmermans 10th error on a wild throw to first allowed Andrelton Simmons to reach base. Pena hit Karns next pitch about five rows deep into the right-field seats for his third homer. Washington tied the game with two runs in the second. LaRoche doubled and moved to third on Ian Desmonds bunt single. Tyler Moores single to left field drove in LaRoche. With two outs, Karns hit a grounder to Freeman at first base. Maholm dropped Freemans toss to first base for an error as Desmond scored. Karns was pulled after giving up a single to Justin Upton and a two-out walk to Evan Gattis in the fifth. Brian McCanns single off Zack Duke drove in Upton for a 4-2 lead. Desmonds seventh homer cut the lead to 4-3 in the sixth before Freemans bases-loaded double off Duke in the bottom of the inning pushed the lead to three runs. Freemans drive hit the yellow line on the top of the left-field wall. Three umpires left the field for a video review to confirm the on-field ruling the hit was a double. "I blame it on the wind," Freeman said with a smile. "Its a big park. Cmon guys, move the fences in." Washington right-hander Erik Davis, recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday, pitched 1 2-3 perfect innings in his major league debut. NOTES: The Braves held out slumping right fielder Jason Heyward, who struck out in each of his three at-bats on Saturday night, leaving his batting average at .142. Justin Upton moved to right field and Gattis started in left field. ... B.J. Upton made back-to-back starts for the first time since May 21-22. ... The Braves open a three-game series against Pittsburgh on Monday night as RHP Kris Medlen, still looking for his second win, faces RHP A.J. Burnett. The Nationals, off on Monday, return home to open a series against the Mets on Tuesday night when RHP Jordan Zimmermann faces RHP Jeremy Hefner. Cheap New Jersey Devils Jerseys . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys .Y. - Jerome Samson scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the St. http://www.cheapdevilsjerseys.com/ . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. Wholesale Devils Jerseys . Ancelotti says Ronaldo has recovered from a hamstring injury but "but he doesnt feel comfortable yet so we wont risk him." Madrid is third in the Spanish league, six points behind leader Barcelona, going into Saturdays game against Valladolid. Cheap Adidas Devils Jerseys . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Olympic boxing is bloody again.Men are fighting without headgear for the first time in 36 years, making the sport debatably safer and undoubtedly more attractive to fans. But the most tangible consequence is gore: More than a dozen boxers at the Rio Games have already incurred significant facial cuts in the first six days of the tournament.Algerian middleweight Ilyas Abbadi was unsure how he got the 1 1/2-inch gash outside his left eye during his victory over Congos Mpi Ngamissengue on Tuesday, but blood trickled down his face during the bout. The cleaned-up wound still gaped to reveal bloody tissue afterward, and he could only hope his training staff could close it satisfactorily before his next fight Friday.Now I know the value of the headgear, Abbadi said through a translator. I think for the amateurs, that would be better. I would prefer to fight with headgear, but this is how it is.The Olympics are the amateur games biggest showcase by far, and the sport desperately hoped a major cut wont ruin a fighters hopes through medical disqualification. It happened for the first time Thursday, when a 2-inch cut near Armenian welterweight Vladimir Margaryans right eye forced the stoppage of his bout with Cuban gold medalist Roniel Iglesias after just 87 seconds.Margaryans coach, Karen Aghamalyan, said his fighter already had a cut from his first Olympic bout four days earlier. Ringside physicians couldnt close the gash when it re-opened in the first minute against Iglesias, who was a heavy favorite.In pro boxing, the sight of blood on a fighters face and chest is common -- and an undeniable part of the sports primal lure. But that visceral reminder of the sports inherent violence had been rare in the modern amateur game until the International Boxing Association (AIBA) removed headgear from its fighters in 2013, citing scientific studies claiming protective padding actually increases brain injury.Although AIBA has worked to improve its boxers fighting styles to minimize head clashes, cuts have become a steady occurrence at major tournaments ever since, often when two skulls collide in an up-close exchange of punches.The absence of headgear has led to several grisly, compelling scenes in preliminary bouts.Russias Adlan Abdurashidov and Algerias Reda Benbaziz both were cut Tuesday during their lightweight bout, which was stopped twice in the second round for Abdurashidov to receive medical attention. Blood dripped steadily from Benbazizs face in the third.The guy was using his head a lot, and he received a warning from the judge, Benbaziz said after winning the decision despite a 2-inch cut through his right eyebrow, which was already swelling moments after the bout. Yeah, it will aaffect my next fight, but we will have to fight with an injury.dddddddddddd. I wish I could be using the headguard.Abdurashidov could only grimace in frustration, blood caked to his upper chest above his tank top.The first minute after the cut, it was very uncomfortable for me, Abdurashidov said. I took some punches because of my eye. It was from a head-butt. Usually, its very good to fight without headgear, but today it was a minus. In general, its better for me without.Abdurashidov echoed the feelings of many fighters, who appear to be roughly split on the change. Despite the risk, many boxers prefer the increased peripheral vision and freedom of movement allowed by an uncovered head.I dont like getting cut, but I prefer to fight without headgear, said Irelands David Oliver Joyce, who was left bloodied by a clash of heads in his loss to Azerbaijans Albert Selimov. Im more of a pro-style boxer, and for the past couple of years, the amateur system suited me.Amateur boxers began wearing headgear between the 1980 Moscow Games and the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Organizers believed the cushions around the skull and cheeks would cut down on concussions and other serious head injuries, but they also protected fighters from bloody damage, allowing them to compete in a multi-fight tournament with almost no cuts.With fighters faces hidden behind bulky padding, the amateur sport gradually lost its long-held status as a must-see Olympic event. The headgear era roughly coincided with the move to a computer-based, punch-counting scoring system.Both factors contributed to Olympic boxings evolution into a sometimes plodding sport derided as fencing with gloves, with fighters rewarded for light punches and elusiveness over power, toughness and combinations.AIBA has returned to a pro-style scoring system since the London Games. The resulting sport is more attractive in almost every manner, and the bouts in Rio have generally been more compelling -- but the blood on the fighters faces portends a potential problem.Professional boxers get several months of recovery time between bouts. Olympic boxers must fight up to five times in a nine-day span, with no time for significant cuts to heal in any meaningful way.So fighters will punch and pray.Russian bantamweight Vladimir Nikitin bled all over himself while beating Vanuatus Boe Warawara on Wednesday. A deep cut in the scalp on the left side of Nikitins head sent blood pouring down his face and neck, but he smiled through the reddened mess when his hand was raised in victory.Nikitin believes hell have no problem fighting again Sunday. ' ' '