Giants at Nationals
Stephen Strasburg will be bidding to become the first 16-game winner in the major leagues when the surging Washington Nationals continue their three-game series against the visiting San Francisco Giants on Saturday night. Washington ran its winning streak to four games with a 5-1 win over the Giants on Friday in the opener of an eight-game homestand.
Strasburg was named the National League Pitcher of the Month for July amid a spellbinding seven-start stretch in which he has permitted one run or fewer on six occasions. Trea Turner has homered in back-to-back contests and is 7-for-21 with five RBIs and six runs scored during a four-game hitting streak while Jayson Werth has reached base in 36 consecutive games for the Nationals, tying Miami's Marcell Ozuna for the longest run this season. Angel Pagan's solo homer was one of four hits in the series opener for San Francisco, which has seen its lead atop the NL West dwindle after going 5-14 overall and 2-10 on the road since the All-Star break. Matt Cain, who beat Washington last weekend, seeks his first victory away from home when he opposes Strasburg.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco), MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Matt Cain (3-6, 5.53 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (15-1, 2.63)
Cain won his second straight start by holding the Nationals hitless over five innings on Sunday, but he walked four batters and exited the game after throwing 93 pitches. Cain had struggled in his previous two turns after coming off the disabled list, giving up a combined nine runs and five homers. Werth is 5-for-8 with a home run against Cain, who owns a career 6-5 mark and 3.46 ERA against the Nationals.
Strasburg rebounded from his lone loss of the season with his second straight superb outing, giving up one run on three hits over six innings to match his career high with his 15th victory. Strasburg is 5-1 over his last six starts and has permitted a remarkable total of three hits or fewer in each of the victories. Buster Posey is 7-for-18 versus Strasburg, who is 3-1 with a 2.79 ERA against San Francisco.
WALK-OFFS
1. Nationals C Wilson Ramos, who set a career high with his 17th homer Friday, has seven RBIs over his last three games.
2. Giants 3B Eduardo Nunez is hitless in 14 at-bats and 2-for-20 since he was acquired at the trade deadline
3. Nationals 1B Ryan Zimmerman missed his fourth straight game with a bone bruise on his left wrist.