Series preview: Braves at Nationals
When (TV): 7:05 p.m. Thursday (SPSO), 7:05 p.m. Friday (FSSO), 7:15 p.m. Saturday (Fox), 1:35 p.m. Sunday (FSSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 106.7
Probable starting pitchers:
Thursday: Braves RH Gavin Floyd (1-2, 2.98 ERA) vs. RH Jordan Zimmerman (5-3, 2.98)
Friday: Braves LH Mike Minor (2-4, 4.42) vs. RH Stephen Strasburg (6-5, 3.06)
Saturday: Braves RH Julio Teheran (6-4, 2.31) vs. RH Doug Fister (5-2, 3.08)
Sunday: Braves RH Ervin Santana (5-4, 4.12) vs. RH Tanner Roark (6-4, 2.85)
About the Braves:
Batting: Evan Gattis is 27-for-69 (.391) with eight homers and 20 RBIs in a 17-game hitting streak, the longest active streak in the majors and longest for a franchise catcher since at least 1900. In eight games at Nationals Park, three of Gattis' six hits (in 29 at-bats) have been home runs…. Justin Upton is 11-for-60 (.183) in his past 15 games with one homer, four RBIs, four walks and 19 strikeouts.
Pitching: Floyd is 1-2 with a 2.31 ERA in four road starts. He's 1-2 with a 4.45 ERA in six starts against the Nationals, none this season…. Against the Nationals, Minor is 3-2 with a 4.96 ERA in nine starts, Teheran is 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA in seven starts, and Santana has a 3.67 ERA and no decisions in four starts.
Miscellaneous: J. Upton has a .299 average with five homers and a .517 slugging percentage in 23 games at Nationals Park, while Freddie Freeman has a .283 average but just one homer in 30 games (106 at-bats)…. Against Zimmermann, J. Upton is 5-for-14, Jason Heyward is 3-for-12 with a homer, Freeman is 3-for-13, and Gattis is 1-for-5 with a homer.
About the Nationals:
Batting: Adam LaRoche has hit .337 with five homers and a .436 OBP in 28 home games. Against right-handers, the ex-Brave has hit .304 (42-for-138) with eight homers and a .529 slugging percentage. But in June, he had one homer and a .222 average in 15 games before Wednesday's finale at Houston. LaRoche is a .197 with five homers in 76 games against the Braves, but has two homers against them this season…. Anthony Rendon was 13-for-46 (.283) with three homers and 10 RBIs in 12 June games before Wednesday.
Pitching: Zimmermann is 2-1 with a 0.36 ERA in three June starts, with 21 strikeouts and two walks in 25 innings. He's 3-1 with a 2.98 ERA in eight starts against the Braves, with 45 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings. He got no decision April 4 when he allowed four hits and one run with nine strikeouts in five innings of a Braves win in Washington…. Against the Braves, Strasburg is a career-worst 3-5 with a 3.86 ERA in 13 starts, Fister is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in one start, and Roark is 1-0 with a 2.55 ERA in four games (two starts).
Miscellaneous: Bryce Harper is on the 15-day DL recovering from surgery to repair a torn thumb ligament…. Before Wednesday, Ryan Zimmerman was 11-for-54 (.204) with no homers in 14 games since returning from the DL…. Against Floyd, Denard Span is 17-for-38 (.447), Ian Desmond is 4-for-6, and LaRoche is 2-for-11 with a homer.
