Nationals at Braves
Part of the reason why the Atlanta Braves are closing in on the National League East title is their ability to hit home runs, and they eye a four-game home sweep of the Washington Nationals on Sunday while closing in on the franchise record for most homers in a season. The Braves belted four homers in Saturday’s 5-4 victory to give them 225 on the season, just 10 off the 2003 team’s record of 235, and more importantly the win pushed their lead over Washington to 10 games.
Second baseman Ozzie Albies and third baseman Josh Donaldson each homered for the second consecutive game, and catcher Brian McCann teamed up with right fielder Matt Joyce on back-to-back shots in the sixth as the Braves won their season-best ninth game in a row overall, set a modern-day franchise mark with their 13th consecutive home triumph, and reduced their magic number to clinch the division to 11. The Nationals, who scored five runs in the first 22 innings of the series, rallied within one run thanks to left fielder Juan Soto’s two-run double in the eighth but fell for the fourth straight game - their longest skid since dropping five in a row May 19-23. Shortstop Trea Turner, who had two hits in the first two games of the series, went 3-for-4 with two doubles and on the season against Atlanta is hitting .338 with six doubles, a homer, four RBIs and 10 runs scored in 15 games. Third baseman Anthony Rendon pushed his on-base streak to 23 games with a seventh-inning walk.
TV: 1:20 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), FS South (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Max Scherzer (9-5, 2.60 ERA) vs. Braves RH Mike Soroka (11-3, 2.53)
Scherzer makes his fourth start since returning from a back injury that sent him to the injured list for almost a month, and he reached 90 pitches in six innings Tuesday against the New York Mets. The 35-year-old gave up four runs on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts to New York, after surrendering only three runs on 10 hits with 11 strikeouts across 8 1/3 innings in his first two starts after coming back. Scherzer, who has not faced Atlanta this season, is 9-7 in 22 career appearances (20 starts) with a 3.76 ERA and 1.20 WHIP.
Soroka, who leads the majors in homers allowed per nine innings (0.6), gave up two longballs Monday against Toronto, but earned his first victory since July 14 by allowing three runs on five hits with six strikeouts in five innings. The 22-year-old entered Saturday second in the NL in ERA, and since the All-Star break has pitched to a 2.70 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 10 starts. Soroka, whose ERA is vastly higher at home (4.02 in 11 starts) than away (1.44 in 14 starts), is 0-1 in three starts this season against the Nationals with five runs allowed on 13 hits in 15 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Washington RHP Aaron Barrett made his first appearance in the majors since Aug. 5, 2015, pitching a scoreless fifth inning with one walk and one strikeout.
2. Atlanta starting pitchers in the first three games of the series (Max Fried, Dallas Keuchel and Julio Teheran) have combined to allow one run on 10 hits in 19 innings with three walks and 20 strikeouts.
3. Soto has driven in 17 runs in his past 14 games with eight doubles, one triple, four homers, seven walks and 16 runs scored in that span.