Diamondbacks at Nationals
Washington Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer has never lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks in five career starts and looks to keep that streak intact when the teams wind up a three-game set on Thursday afternoon at Nationals Park. Washington evened the series at a game apiece with a 2-1 victory Wednesday night.
Scherzer struck out 21 batters in beating the Diamondbacks twice last season to improve to 4-0 with a 2.65 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 34 innings against them. Ryan Zimmerman was named National League Player of the Month on Wednesday and celebrated by delivering an RBI double for the tiebreaking run to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. Arizona's pitching staff set a major league record in defeat, becoming the first team in history to strike out at least 10 batters in nine consecutive games. Chris Owings hit the Diamondbacks' fourth homer of the series to account for the lone run in Wednesday's loss.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Braden Shipley (2016: 4-5, 5.27 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Max Scherzer (3-2, 2.94)
Shipley will make his season debut after going 3-1 with a 4.18 ERA in five appearances at Triple-A Reno, allowing a combined four earned runs in his last three starts. A first-round draft choice of the Diamondbacks in 2013, he made 11 starts and 13 appearances with Arizona in 2016 and permitted 14 homers over 70 innings. Shipley is taking the spot of Shelby Miller, who is facing Tommy John surgery.
Scherzer is coming off his worst outing of the season, giving up five runs on nine hits over six innings to the New York Mets while getting touched for a pair of homers for the second straight start. The 32-year-old gave up a combined six earned runs over his first four turns and has struck out at least seven batters each time out. Arizona first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is 0-for-9 with six strikeouts versus Scherzer.
WALK-OFFS
1. Zimmerman, who became the first player to reach 30 RBIs this season, has six straight multi-hit games.
2. Owings improved to 23-for-74 lifetime against Washington.
3. Nationals RF Bryce Harper is 14-for-37 with 14 runs scored in his last 10 games.