Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats
Yesterday’s tomorrow is now today which is the wonderful part of baseball to shake-off a bad game and get back at it in the next day’s game.
“Momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher” — Earl Weaver
The Washington Nationals send the reigning Cy Young pitcher, Max Scherzer, to the mound this afternoon in the rubber game of this series with Atlanta. Both teams leaned hard on their bullpens last night, and the Braves had to use 4 relievers for Monday’s game making their situation a bit tenuous going into today’s game.
Nationals’ manager Dave Martinez was able to get through last night’s hiccup without having to use Matt Grace, Brandon Kintzler, Ryan Madson, and Sean Doolittle, and the Nats bullpen only had to cover 4 1/3 innings compared to the Braves bullpen who had to throw 6 2/3 innings.
The Braves have now used up both of their long-men in this series as Anibal Sanchez and Shane Carle will not be available today. Braves’ manager Brian Snitker also used their main lefty, Sam Freeman, two games in a row, and he was the primary lefty they want to face Bryce Harper. Oddly, Freeman came into Monday’s game in an 8-1 deficit to face only Bryce Harper in the 9th inning with 2 outs, and then pitched against Harper in the 6th inning of last night’s game but stayed in the game to also pitch the entire 7th inning. The Braves only carry two lefties in their bullpen, and the other is A.J. Minter who also pitched an inning last night throwing 17 pitches.
Unless the Braves make a roster move today, their bullpen will be questionable today and has been taxed hard. So far in this series, the Braves bullpen has thrown 11 1/3 innings in total, and the Nationals bullpen has thrown 6 1/3 innings.
With this game, the Nationals start their second time through the starting rotation. Of course the looming question for Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez is who will be the Nationals 5th starter going forward?
Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves
Stadium: Suntrust Park, Georgia
1st Pitch: 12:10 pm EDT
TV: MASN; MLB App out-of-market
Nats Radio: 106.7 The Fan and via the MLB app
Line-ups subject to change without notice:
- Adam Eaton LF
- Anthony Rendon 3B
- Bryce Harper RF
- Matt Adams 1B
- Trea Turner SS
- Michael Taylor CF
- Wilmer Difo 2B
- Pedro Severino C
- Max Scherzer RHP
