Braves at Nationals
The Washington Nationals host the Atlanta Braves in an important three-game series starting Monday, pitting two of the best teams in baseball since May 24 against each other as the hours tick toward Wednesday’s trade deadline. The Braves are 34-21 since May 24 after taking two of three games at Philadelphia and lead the National League East by 5 1/2 games over the Nationals, who are 37-18 since that date despite losing two of three to the Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend.
Washington avoided a sweep to Los Angeles with Sunday’s 11-4 victory but lost first baseman Matt Adams - who hit .300 with three homers and seven RBIs in his previous eight starts - after he was hit by a pitch on his foot. Third baseman Anthony Rendon went 3-for-4 with three RBIs to give him hits in 16 of his past 18 games with a .368 average and 16 RBIs in that span, while Washington starting pitchers in the past 25 games have pitched to a 2.24 ERA. The Braves arrive with a NL-best 32-21 road record following Sunday’s 9-4 defeat, but center fielder Ender Inciarte - who figures to play every day with outfielder Nick Markakis out with a fractured left wrist - homered for the second consecutive day and finished with two hits and three RBIs. Outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. extended his on-base streak to 32 games with a seventh-inning single before leaving the game with neck stiffness after a collision at second base after a stolen base.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, FS Southeast (Atlanta), MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves LH Dallas Keuchel (3-3, 3.50 ERA) vs. Nationals LH Patrick Corbin (8-5, 3.25)
Keuchel struck out a season-high 12 hitters Tuesday against Kansas City and held the opposition to three earned runs or fewer for the sixth time in seven starts since joining the Braves. The 31-year-old makes his sixth appearance this month and is 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA and 25 hits allowed in 33 innings across those outings. Keuchel made his Atlanta debut at Washington on June 21, giving up four runs (three earned) on eight hits in five innings of a 4-3 loss.
Corbin has been outstanding since the middle of June, going 3-0 with a 1.60 ERA and a .217 batting average against in his past seven starts as the Nationals are 6-1 in those outings. The 30-year-old shut out Colorado on three hits with seven strikeouts in six innings Wednesday, the sixth time in his past seven outings he has allowed two earned runs or fewer. Corbin, who gave up two runs on eight hits with five strikeouts against the Braves on July 19, is 5-1 with a 1.68 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in 10 home starts this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Nationals LF Juan Soto, who homered and drove in two runs Sunday, has reached base in 81 of his 95 games this season.
2. Atlanta 1B Freddie Freeman saw his eight-game hitting streak end Sunday, but he still has 12 hits, nine walks and seven RBIs over his last nine contests.
3. Washington leads the season series 5-4 and has averaged 6.3 runs per game, splitting a four-game set in Atlanta on July 18-21.