Nationals at Giants
Bryce Harper appealed the suspension for his role in Monday's brawl and will be in the lineup when the Washington Nationals wrap up their three-game series against the host San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. Harper drew a four-game ban for charging the mound after being plunked by Giants reliever Hunter Strickland, who received a six-game suspension for his actions.
Nationals manager Dusty Baker thought Harper's penalty was too harsh as it was apparent to most observers that Strickland targeted Harper due to the two long homers the slugger launched off him in the 2014 National League Division Series. "It's always in their hands, so there's nothing the players can do about what's fair, what's not fair," Harper told reporters of the decision made by Major League Baseball. "Like I said, just going to appeal that four games and see what happens." The Nationals allowed just three runs while winning the first two games of the series and have captured seven of their last nine contests, while the Giants have dropped six of their last eight. San Francisco's Buster Posey is 5-for-7 in the series, and his run-scoring single on Tuesday represented his first RBI since May 15.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Washington), NBCSN Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Max Scherzer (5-3, 2.77 ERA) vs. Giants RH Matt Cain (3-3, 4.45)
Scherzer struck out a season-best 13 while dominating San Diego in his last start, when he gave up one run and three hits in 8 2/3 innings of a 5-1 victory. The 32-year-old leads the NL with 89 strikeouts and is holding opponents to a .189 batting average while posting a 0.94 WHIP. Scherzer is 2-4 with a 5.52 ERA in six career starts against the Giants and has only faced Posey twice, retiring him both times.
Cain has dropped consecutive starts, including an outing against Atlanta last time out in which he allowed two runs - one earned - and seven hits over seven innings. The 32-year-old has been inconsistent over his last five turns, twice giving up just one earned run and twice allowing seven or more. Cain is 7-5 with a 3.30 ERA in 17 career starts against the Nationals and didn't allow a run while beating them twice last season.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Nationals have won 22 of the last 35 regular-season meetings.
2. Giants OF Michael Morse was placed on the 7-day concussion list - he collided with RHP Jeff Samardzija during Monday's brawl - and INF Kelby Tomlinson was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento.
3. Harper struck out three times in five at-bats on Tuesday and is 0-for-8 in the series.