Giants at Nationals
The San Francisco Giants just completed a 5-1 homestand behind fantastic pitching and some offensive heroics on Wednesday. The Giants will try to carry the momentum from a walk-off win across the country when they begin a 10-game road trip by visiting the Washington Nationals on Friday.
San Francisco allowed a total of 11 runs during the six-game homestand and pulled off a 5-4 victory in 10 innings over Arizona on Wednesday when Alen Hanson delivered a tying, pinch-hit homer in the ninth and Brandon Crawford added a walk-off single in the 10th. "Great win for us," Giants manager Bruce Bochy told reporters. "It could be our best win this year." Crawford, Hanson and company will have their work cut out for them this weekend with three of the best pitchers in the National League slated to start for Washington, with Stephen Strasburg opposing lefty Andrew Suarez on Friday before Gio Gonzalez and Max Scherzer go for Washington on Saturday and Sunday. The Nationals are struggling to find consistency on offense but broke out the bats on Wednesday in an 11-2 pasting of the Tampa Bay Rays to earn a share of first place in the NL East.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco), MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Andrew Suarez (2-4, 4.74 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (6-5, 3.20)
Suarez snapped a four-start winless streak with a brilliant outing against Philadelphia on Saturday, scattering three hits without walking a batter in seven scoreless innings. The 25-year-old rookie notched five strikeouts in that turn and is up to 42 in 43 2/3 total innings. Suarez is making his first career start against the Nationals and is 1-2 with a 6.38 ERA in four starts on the road.
Strasburg struck out 10 over 6 2/3 innings at Atlanta last Friday but was reached for four runs - three earned - on seven hits and suffered the loss. The former No. 1 overall draft pick surrendered three or fewer earned runs in each of his last six outings and is fourth in the National League with 93 strikeouts entering Thursday. Strasburg is 3-2 with a 3.32 ERA in eight career starts against San Francisco.
WALK-OFFS
1. Nationals OF Adam Eaton (ankle) is on a minor league rehab assignment at Class A Potomac and could return to the active roster this weekend.
2. Crawford hit safely in each of the last seven games and is 12-for-26 in that span.
3. Washington 3B Anthony Rendon went 4-for-5 on Wednesday - matching his hit total from the previous seven games.