Nationals at Dodgers
After beating up on a pair of last-place teams on the first two stops of their three-city road trip, the Washington Nationals have a chance to prove why they own the best record in the National League. The Nationals attempt to exact a small measure of revenge against the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season when they begin the final leg of their nine-game West Coast trek Monday with the first of three contests against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Washington opened its journey through California early last week with a three-game sweep of San Francisco and scored 28 runs over the weekend while taking two of three from Oakland. Bryce Harper drew three walks and scored twice in his return from a three-game suspension in Sunday's 11-10 victory, while Ryan Zimmerman continued his unlikely Triple Crown bid by going 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs, lifting his season numbers to an MLB-best .374 average, 16 homers (tied for first in the NL) and an MLB-high 48 RBIs. The Dodgers are tied with Arizona for the best home record in the majors (21-8) and - like the Nationals - have won eight of their last 11 overall, although they mustered only three hits Sunday at Milwaukee as they were unable to complete a three-game road sweep. Los Angeles won five of its regular-season meetings with Washington a year ago and rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the NL Division Series to eliminate the Nationals.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, ESPN, MASN (Washington), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals LH Gio Gonzalez (4-1, 3.03 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Hyun-Jin Ryu (2-5, 3.91)
Gonzalez continued to struggle with his control in a win at San Francisco on Tuesday, permitting three runs on eight hits and three walks over 6 1/3 innings. The two-time All-Star, who last pitched in Dodger Stadium in Game 3 of the 2016 NLDS, is tied with Colorado's Tyler Chatwood for the major-league lead with 35 free passes issued. Adrian Gonzalez (2-for-17) and Yasiel Puig (1-for-11) have struggled against Gonzalez, who is 3-1 with a 1.69 ERA in five career regular-season starts versus the Dodgers.
Ryu capped a strong finish to May with a no-decision at St. Louis on Wednesday, allowing one run on three hits and a walk while throwing 77 pitches over six frames. The 30-year-old South Korean picked up his first career save six days earlier with four scoreless innings and earned his last victory on May 18, when he gave up two runs over 5 1/3 frames against Miami. Ryu is 2-1 with a 3.05 ERA in four home appearances (three starts) this year as he enters his first career start versus Washington.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Dodgers (plus-84) and Nationals (plus-70) own the largest run differentials in the NL.
2. Washington 2B Daniel Murphy is 14-for-28 with a homer, seven RBIs and five runs scored during the road trip.
3. Los Angeles RHP Kenley Jansen has struck out 40 of the 85 batters he has faced and already owns the major-league record for the most strikeouts to begin a season without issuing a walk.