Nationals at Braves
The Washington Nationals head to Atlanta to face the National League East-leading Braves in a four-game series starting Thursday, in a matchup of two of the hottest teams in baseball the past two months. The Braves hold a 6 1/2-game lead over the Nationals entering the series and are 40-19 since May 10, but the Nationals have refused to wilt by winning 25 of 36 contests since June 1 to stay within striking distance with seven games left against Atlanta this month.
Washington is 8-3 so far in July after falling 9-2 on Wednesday at Baltimore, mustering just five hits in splitting a two-game series with its regional rival. Outfielder Adam Eaton doubled home two runs in the loss and is 11-for-31 with four doubles in his past eight games, while outfielder Juan Soto is 13-for-40 with three homers, eight runs scored and eight walks in 11 games since July 1. Atlanta wrapped up a 4-2 road trip to start the second half with two consecutive losses at Milwaukee, including a 5-4 defeat Wednesday as the Braves rallied from five runs down in the eighth inning. Third baseman Josh Donaldson homered in the eighth and finished with four RBIs to give him seven homers and 16 RBIs in his past 11 games, while center fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. walked and recorded a stolen base to extend his career-high on-base streak to 23 – the longest current streak in the majors.
TV: 7:20 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), FS Southeast (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (11-4, 3.46 ERA) vs. Braves RH Julio Teheran (5-6, 3.71)
Strasburg looks to become the first NL pitcher to reach 12 wins and continue a stellar July in which he has allowed just nine hits in 13 1/3 scoreless innings with three walks and 20 strikeouts in two starts. Strasburg, who turns 31 on Saturday, is 7-1 in his past eight starts with a 3.75 ERA and a .237 opponents batting average, striking out 57 hitters in 50 1/3 innings. That stretch started with an 11-strikeout performance across seven innings in a win against the Braves on May 28, and he also beat Atlanta on June 21, giving up three runs in six innings.
Teheran has rebounded from a shaky end to June with two strong starts this month, giving up two earned runs across 12 innings with 12 strikeouts in a pair of no-decisions. The 28-year-old struck out six and walked just one while allowing three runs (two earned) in six innings Friday in San Diego, after concluding the first half with six shutout innings and five hits surrendered July 5 against Miami. Teheran is 6-6 with a 4.13 ERA in 21 career starts against Washington, but with open rotation spots this weekend and Kyle Wright scratched from Wednesday’s start at Triple-A Gwinnett, the Braves could give Wright (0-2, 7.07 ERA in three starts in the majors in 2019) the ball Thursday and slide Teheran to Friday.
WALK-OFFS
1. Atlanta is expected to activate CF Ender Inciarte, out since May 14 with a back injury, at some point during the series.
2. The Nationals scored 19 runs in a two-game series sweep of Atlanta in late May; the Braves won twice in a three-game set at Washington in mid-June.
3. Washington’s bullpen has struggled this season and it continued Wednesday, as four Nationals relievers combined to allow eight runs (six earned) on nine hits in two innings.