Nationals at Athletics
The Washington Nationals and host Oakland Athletics have exchanged offensive outbursts to begin their three-game interleague series and both will attempt to claim the set in the finale Sunday afternoon, when Nationals superstar Bryce Harper returns from a suspension. After the Nationals pounded out 20 hits in a 13-3 victory to open the series, the Athletics returned the favor Saturday afternoon behind Ryon Healy and Jed Lowrie.
Healy was 4-for-4 with two homers and two doubles while Lowrie went deep once and ripped a pair of two-baggers while driving in four runs in the 10-4 triumph. Yonder Alonso had two hits, two walks, two RBIs and three runs scored for Oakland, which entered the contest having hit .196 while scoring an average of 2.9 runs over its previous seven contests (1-6). The Nationals received a three-run homer from Adam Lind and three hits from red-hot Daniel Murphy, who is 13-for-23 with three doubles and a homer in his last five games. Trying to slow down the bats will be Washington's Tanner Roark and fellow right-hander Sonny Gray for Oakland.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Washington), NBCSN California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Tanner Roark (5-2, 3.86 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Sonny Gray (2-2, 4.72)
Roark is coming off back-to-back dominant outings, first allowing a run in seven innings against Seattle and following that up with seven scoreless at San Francisco on Memorial Day. The 30-year-old had a similar line - one run on two hits allowed in 7 2/3 frames - in his only prior start at Oakland in 2014. Roark has a 2.71 ERA in 15 career interleague games (12 starts).
After picking up back-to-back home wins - including a seven-inning, 11-strikeout performance against Miami - Gray struggled at Cleveland on Tuesday. He was reached for a season-high seven runs in 4 2/3 innings in that one while suffering his first loss in a span of five starts. The Vanderbilt product let up three runs in seven frames in his only prior matchup with the Nationals in 2014.
WALK-OFFS
1. Harper served a three-game suspension for his role in a bench-clearing brawl in San Francisco last week and is 3-for-21 over his last six games.
2. Lind has six RBIs over a three-game span.
3. Alonso also homered Saturday and has four in his last eight contests.