Nationals at Braves
Injuries have derailed the past three years for Ryan Zimmerman, but the Washington Nationals first baseman continues to enjoy a rebound season entering Tuesday’s series opener at the Atlanta Braves. Zimmerman, who missed 215 games from 2014-16 with a variety of injuries, matched a career high in homers in Washington’s 7-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.
Zimmerman’s two homers in Sunday’s victory gives him 33 on the season, and the 32-year-old is hitting .301 with 99 RBIs and 29 doubles in 135 games for the NL East champions. “He doesn’t alibi or complain about anything,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker told reporters Sunday when Washington broke loose offensively after scoring just nine runs in its previous five games. The Braves lost two of three against the New York Mets at home last weekend and also have struggled on offense recently, hitting just .214 as a team while scoring nine runs in dropping three of their past four contests. Center fielder Ender Inciarte started the week third in the majors with 190 hits, 10 away from becoming the first Atlanta player since Marquis Grissom in 1996 to record 200 in a season.
TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Washington), FSN Southeast (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Max Scherzer (14-6, 2.59 ERA) vs. Braves LH Luiz Gohara (1-1, 6.30)
Scherzer began the week third in the majors in ERA and strikeouts (246), but looks to bounce back from a difficult outing in his last start against the Braves. He walked a season-high six hitters and allowed a season-high seven runs in an 8-2 home loss Wednesday - his first defeat since June 21. Scherzer, who has surrendered 11 runs in his past two starts after giving up only seven in his previous six outings, is 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA in four starts against Atlanta this season.
Gohara benefited from the Braves hitting Scherzer hard Wednesday, earning his first victory in his second major-league start. The 21-year-old outpitched the Washington ace, not walking a batter and needing just 71 pitches to cover six innings while allowing only one earned run with six strikeouts. Gohara walked four and allowed six runs in his big-league debut Sept. 6 against Texas.
WALK-OFFS
1. Atlanta hopes LF Matt Kemp (left hamstring tightness) and C Tyler Flowers (left hand bruise) are expected to return at some point in the series.
2. Washington CF Michael Taylor has six extra-base hits in September, including four homers.
3. Braves rookie LHP A.J. Minter has not walked a hitter in 10 innings across his first 10 major-league appearances, with 15 strikeouts and three runs allowed.