Nationals at Athletics
The first-place Washington Nationals continue their nine-game trek through California when they meet the Oakland Athletics on Friday in the first contest of a three-game set, but do so without their superstar right fielder. Bryce Harper is eligible to return Sunday after he serves a three-game suspension for charging the mound Monday in San Francisco, but Washington did fine without him when it completed a three-game sweep of the Giants with a 3-1 victory Wednesday.
The Nationals (33-19), who lead the National League East by 10 games over the New York Mets, own the second-most road wins in the NL (17-10) and have won their last four away from home as part of an 8-2 overall stretch. Oakland (23-30) completed a 2-5 road trip with a 8-0 loss to Cleveland on Thursday and comes home for six games, including three against the surging Toronto Blue Jays. The Athletics continue to struggle defensively as they committed three errors Thursday, bringing their major league-leading total to 55. Washington's Stephen Strasburg makes his first start against Oakland after striking out a career-high 15 in his last outing and opposes Andrew Triggs, who is 2-4 with a 3.79 ERA since beginning the season by winning his first three turns and not allowing an earned run over 17 2/3 innings.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, MASN 2 (Washington), NBCSN California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (6-1, 2.94 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Andrew Triggs (5-4, 2.64)
Strasburg allowed three hits and one walk in seven innings of his dominating 3-0 victory over San Diego on Saturday and has 26 strikeouts in his last two starts. "It's pretty cool, but there's another game five, six days from now," the 28-year-old Californian, who is 4-0 with a 2.70 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and .203 batting average against in five road starts this season, told reporters after his epic performance. "Maybe I'll enjoy it tonight, but back to work tomorrow." Strasburg struggled against Khris Davis (4-for-6, two home runs) when the left fielder played with Milwaukee.
Triggs yielded six runs (one earned) and six hits in six innings of a 9-5 loss at Yankee Stadium on May 28. The 28-year-old Tennessee native permitted six runs (five earned) and eight hits while striking out seven in 5 1/3 innings of a 12-3 setback to Boston on May 21 in his previous outing. Triggs, who has never faced Washington, holds left-handed batters to a .157 average but righties are hitting .283 against him this year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Nationals 3B Ryan Zimmerman (15 home runs, 44 RBIs) leads the majors with a .368 batting average.
2. Oakland leadoff hitters are batting a major league-worst .157 with 21 walks, a hit by pitch and a sacrifice, giving them an on-base percentage of .233.
3. Washington 2B Daniel Murphy (.325) is 6-for-13 in his last three games since missing two and only pinch hitting in another because of illness.