Braves at Nationals
Two teams beginning to turn their fortunes around meet when the Washington Nationals host the Atlanta Braves on Friday to open a three-game set. The Nationals have won seven of their last nine after Bryce Harper’s three homers Wednesday, and Atlanta has gone 4-2 in its past six after taking two of three from Philadelphia for its first series victory since April 17-19.
Harper snapped a 1-for-17 slump with his big afternoon in the 7-5 victory over Miami as Washington scored at least six for the fifth time in nine contests. Catcher Wilson Ramos has played a major role in the Nationals’ surge, hitting safely in 11 straight games while going 18-for-43. Left-hander Eric Stults gets the start for the Braves against Gio Gonzalez, who is 2-8 in 11 career starts against Atlanta. Andrelton Simmons (10-for-21, six-game hit streak) and Freddie Freeman (9-for-16, seven RBIs in the last four games) have led the way for the Braves, who scored 16 runs the last two contests.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN South (Atlanta), MASN2 (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves LH Eric Stults (1-2, 4.91 ERA) vs. Nationals LH Gio Gonzalez (2-2, 3.86)
Stults limited the Nationals to two runs on four hits over 6 1/3 innings to earn his only victory of the season on April 27 before getting pounded by Cincinnati for six runs in seven frames last time out. The 35-year-old has allowed five homers in five starts, but surrendered one run in six innings during his only road outing in 2015. Danny Espinosa is 5-for-9 with homer versus Stults, who is 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA over four starts against Washington.
Gonzalez kept a pair of teams scoreless in his past three starts, including a seven-inning stint last Saturday against the New York Mets to gain the victory. The Florida native has allowed just one homer in five outings and boasts 31 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings, but opponents are batting .297 against him. Simmons (6-for-18) and Freeman (7-for-24) have each homered twice versus Gonzalez, who has a 5.20 lifetime ERA against the Braves.
WALK OFFS
1. Nationals CF Denard Span is 12-for-30 with seven doubles and 10 runs scored over the last seven contests.
2. Atlanta 2B Jace Peterson went 6-for-10 with two walks in the latest series against Philadelphia.
3. Washington OF Jayson Werth has missed the last two games with a sore shoulder but is expected to be available on Friday.