Braves at Nationals
It has been a difficult start to the season for the Atlanta Braves, the National League’s lone winless team which opens a seven-game road trip Monday at the Washington Nationals at 0-5 – their worst start since beginning 1988 with 10 consecutive defeats. The Braves issued nine walks and hit three batters in Sunday’s 12-7 loss to St. Louis, and face a Washington team that has dominated Atlanta since the start of 2015.
The Nationals swept a two-game set in Atlanta to start the season, and have beaten the Braves 16 times in the past 21 matchups. Bryce Harper, who sits one home run shy of 100 for his career, doubled twice in Sunday’s 4-2 victory over Miami while new second baseman Daniel Murphy has reached base 11 times through four games. Atlanta made a flurry of roster moves prior to Sunday’s game, promoting reliever Chris Withrow from Triple-A Gwinnett, signing free-agent Emilio Bonifacio to a minor-league deal and placing outfielder Ender Inciarte on the disabled list (left hamstring). To cap their awful week, the Braves saw reliever Daniel Winkler fracture his right elbow Sunday while throwing a pitch in the seventh inning before Atlanta gave up seven runs in the final two innings.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN South (Atlanta), MASN2 (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Bud Norris (0-1, 3.86 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Max Scherzer (0-0, 2.57)
Norris deserved far better after his Atlanta debut Wednesday against Washington, allowing three runs on six hits in seven innings but gave up three runs as a result of shaky Braves’ defense in the seventh. The 31-year-old, who signed a one-year deal with Atlanta in the offseason, looked sharp after going 3-11 with a 6.72 ERA with Baltimore and San Diego in 2015. Norris threw 59 of his 98 pitches for strikes in his first start, walking two and striking out four.
Scherzer was sharp in his season debut at Atlanta on opening day April 4, allowing two solo homers but three hits in seven strong innings. He struck out seven against the Braves and has averaged 8.3 strikeouts in his 34 starts for the Nationals dating back to last April. Scherzer went 5-7 with a 3.44 ERA in 16 starts at Nationals Park last season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Washington RF Jayson Werth snapped a 0-for-13 start to his season with a run-scoring single in the seventh Sunday, putting the Nationals ahead to stay.
2. Atlanta’s bullpen has allowed 17 earned runs on 24 hits with 14 walks in 17 2/3 innings.
3. Atlanta RF Nick Markakis doubled three times Sunday and finished the three-game series with four RBIs and three runs scored.