Nationals at Padres
Matt Adams has belted seven homers already this month and will be hoping to get some at-bats when the Washington Nationals visit the San Diego Padres on Tuesday for the middle contest of their three-game series. Adams recorded two homers and five RBIs during Monday's 8-5 victory and has gone deep 10 times in only 75 at-bats this season.
Adams, who his a left-handed hitter, has his chances of being in Tuesday's lineup against San Diego southpaw Clayton Richard helped by the fact that Ryan Zimmerman (left side) could miss his fourth straight game. Monday's victory was Washington's eighth in nine contests and also came in the opener of a seven-game road trip that will end with four contests in Arizona. Nationals star Bryce Harper went hitless in four at-bats for the third straight game to see his batting average fall to .237. San Diego's Jose Pirela registered three hits for the fifth time this season and is 5-for-11 over his last three conests.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Washington), FS San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Jeremy Hellickson (0-0, 3.00 ERA) vs. Padres LH Clayton Richard (1-4, 6.21)
Hellickson settled for a no-decision against Pittsburgh in his last turn despite allowing only three hits in 5 2/3 scoreless innings. The 31-year-old has a solid 1.05 WHIP and has issued four walks in 21 frames but has yet to last six innings in a start this season. Hellickson is 2-4 with a 6.70 ERA in eight career starts against the Padres and just 1-3 with a 5.84 ERA in four outings at pitcher-friendly Petco Park.
Richard has lost three straight starts and is winless in his last four outings. The 34-year-old was torched for a season-worst seven runs - six earned - and eight hits over four innings in his last turn against San Francisco. Richard is 1-4 with a 3.67 ERA in 11 career appearances (seven starts) against the Nationals and has faced Harper five times (1-for-4 with a walk).
WALK-OFFS
1. The Nationals are 6-2 against the Padres since the start of the 2017 season.
2. Washington activated RHP Shawn Kelley (elbow) from the disabled list and optioned OF Rafael Bautista to Triple-A Syracuse.
3. San Diego activated LHP Matt Strahm (knee) from the DL and optioned RHP Kazuhisa Makita to Triple-A El Paso.