Nationals at Giants
Max Scherzer attempts to become the first five-game winner in the majors when the Washington Nationals conclude their three-game series against the host San Francisco Giants on Wednesday afternoon. The three-time Cy Young Award winner has allowed just 18 hits while striking out 47 in 33 innings this season.
Scherzer outdueled another three-time Cy Young recipient in Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in his last outing on Friday. The Nationals have since dropped four straight contests, scoring a total of eight runs during the skid. Mac Williamson was a hero for the Giants for the second straight contest on Tuesday as he belted the tiebreaking 423-foot homer in the sixth inning of a 4-3 victory. Williamson has gone deep three times in five games since being recalled from Triple-A Sacramento, and each blast has been over 400 feet.
TV: 3:45 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Max Scherzer (4-1, 1.36 ERA) vs. Giants Jeff Samardzija (1-0, 0.00)
Scherzer has won three straight starts and given up just seven hits while recording 30 strikeouts in 22 innings during the stretch. The 33-year-old allowed one run and four hits in six frames against the Dodgers and struck out nine against one walk. Scherzer is just 3-4 with a 4.17 ERA in eight career starts against the Giants but has enjoyed success versus Buster Posey (1-for-9), Evan Longoria (2-for-16, one homer) and Andrew McCutchen (4-for-23, one homer, 12 strikeouts).
Samardzija made his season debut on Friday and gave up two hits over five scoreless innings of a no-decision against the Los Angeles Angels. The 33-year-old injured a pectoral muscle during spring training on March 21 and didn't have pinpoint control against the Angels as he issued four walks while also striking out four. Samardzija is 2-7 with a 4.07 ERA in 16 career appearances (nine starts) against the Nationals and has enjoyed success versus both Bryce Harper (3-for-16) and Ryan Zimmerman (4-for-24, eight strikeouts).
WALK-OFFS
1. Harper is hitless in five at-bats in the series and is just 2-for-20 with no homers over his last seven games.
2. San Francisco 1B Brandon Belt hit a two-run homer on Tuesday and has gone deep in five of the past six games.
3. Washington placed RHP Shawn Kelley (ulnar nerve irritation) on the 10-day disabled list, optioned INF Matt Reynolds to Syracuse and recalled OF Rafael Bautista and INF Adrian Sanchez from the same Triple-A club.