Nationals at Braves
The Washington Nationals avoided a costly sweep in their weekend series at the Atlanta Braves after grinding out a 5-3 victory in 14 innings Saturday, and enter Sunday’s finale with an opportunity to move into first place in the National League East. The Nationals got seven scoreless innings from their bullpen to win for the 11th time in their past 13 road contests, and have pulled within one-half game of the division lead.
Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman remains hot, extending his hitting streak to 15 games (the longest current run in the majors) and his on-base streak to 23 (currently the longest in the NL) with a double in the sixth inning. Freeman is batting .377 during his streak, while third baseman Johan Camargo belted a three-run homer Saturday - his third longball in the past five games - to vault the Braves ahead. But the Nationals tied the game on 19-year-old rookie Juan Soto’s solo homer in the seventh - his third hit of the game - and pitcher Max Scherzer came off the bench with a pinch-hit single before scoring the eventual winning run in the 14th. Shortstop Trea Turner endured a miserable end to his 13-game hitting streak, finishing Saturday 0-for-7 with five strikeouts.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, MLB Network, MASN2 (Washington), FS South (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Jeremy Hellickson (2-0, 2.30 ERA) vs. Braves RH Anibal Sanchez (1-0, 3.00)
Hellickson overcame a sluggish April to dominate in May, going 2-0 in five starts with a 1.30 ERA with 25 strikeouts and just two walks in 27 2/3 innings. The 31-year-old finished the month with a victory at Baltimore on Tuesday, allowing two runs on six hits with no walks in five innings while showing no impact from a blister that cut short his previous start. Hellickson is 2-0 with a 3.21 ERA in five career starts against Atlanta, all coming in 2016-17.
Sanchez struggled in his first start after returning from the disabled list Tuesday, lasting just four innings and allowing four runs on five hits in a no-decision against the New York Mets. The 34-year-old had surrendered only two runs on 10 hits across 11 innings in his first two starts before suffering a hamstring injury on April 18. Sanchez opened his season with a three-inning relief appearance against the Nationals on April 2, giving up one hit and no runs with three walks and two strikeouts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Atlanta LHP Jesse Biddle struck out eight hitters in three scoreless innings of relief Saturday, while Washington RHP Justin Miller earned the victory with three perfect innings of relief, striking out five.
2. Washington 1B Matt Adams left Saturday’s game in the fourth inning after fouling a pitch off his right foot.
3. The Braves announced RHP Mike Soroka, who reported no issues with his right shoulder during a Friday rehab start with Class-A Rome, will make at least two more rehab appearances.