Padres at Nationals
With a season-high 13 strikeouts in his last outing, Stephen Strasburg will look to continue his impressive run as he attempts to lift the Washington Nationals to an abbreviated two-game sweep of the visiting San Diego Padres on Tuesday afternoon. Rookie Bryce Harper belted his first career homer as the Nationals won for the 13th time in 17 home contests with an 8-5 triumph on Monday. With the high-scoring outburst, Washington became the last major league team to record eight runs.
The light-hitting Padres actually scored more than three runs for the first time in nine games, but still fell short. San Diego has dropped four of its last five games and 10 of its 13 road contests this season. After seeing his nine-game hitting streak come to an end on Sunday, Yonder Alonso went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored in the series opener.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, FSSD (San Diego), MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Anthony Bass (1-4, 3.23 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (3-0, 1.64 ERA)
After making a smooth transition into the starting rotation, Bass has struggled in his last two outings. The 24-year-old has yielded 11 runs and 15 hits in his last two trips to the mound, including five runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings in a 6-2 loss to Colorado on Wednesday. Bass, who is in his second season, has yet to face the Nationals in his career.
Strasburg has been as good as advertised, permitting just eight earned runs and 30 hits in 44 innings (seven starts) this season. The former top overall pick, Strasburg allowed two runs on five hits in six innings to pick up the win in Washington's 4-2 triumph over Pittsburgh on Thursday. Strasburg has yet to face the Padres in his young career.
WALK-OFFS
1. Ian Desmond, who went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored on Monday, is 8-for-21 in his last four games.
2. Injuries have been piling up for Washington, which saw its catcher fall for the second time in three days. Sandy Leon, who was making his major league debut, suffered a sprained ankle after a collision with Chase Headley in the fourth inning. Wilson Ramos tore his anterior cruciate ligament on Saturday while chasing a passed ball. He is expected to be sidelined for the rest of the season.
3. San Diego outfielder Jeremy Hermida, who will have sports hernia surgery on Tuesday, will be sidelined for six weeks. Hermida has been on the disabled list since late April.