Up next for the Atlanta Braves is a nine-game road trip that will take them to Washington, Miami and Baltimore over the next 10 days. The Braves would appear to be catching the Nationals at a good time as they have lost four straight and nine of their last 10 overall. That one victory came last weekend in Atlanta when Riley Adams tagged Will Smith for a two-run home run in the ninth.
The Braves have won seven of 10 and three straight series overall. They currently sit at 59-56 and in third place in the NL East standings, just a half game back of the Mets and one back of the Phillies entering play Friday. Atlanta has won nine of the 13 matchups against Washington this season and will need to maintain that dominance in order to keep the pressure on the rest of the division.
Except for a couple of pinch hit appearances, the Braves didn’t have to worry about Juan Soto who was out of the starting lineup while dealing with some knee soreness. Soto has since returned to the lineup and went 3-for-6 with a homer and six walks in New York.
Charlie Morton will get the start for the Braves in Friday’s series opener. He has hands down been Atlanta’s most consistent starter in 2021. Morton held the Nationals scoreless through six innings while allowing three hits and two walks while striking out seven. He left with a 2-0 lead before the implosion in the ninth inning gave Washington the victory. Morton has faced the Nationals twice this season allowing nine hits and three runs in 11 innings. He has struck out 13 and walked five over those two starts.
Josiah Gray will make his second straight start against Morton and the Braves and will be looking to build off of a strong performance last time out. Gray allowed four hits and two runs, although just one was earned, over five innings on August 7. He struck out 10 and walked just two.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Friday, August 13, 7:05 p.m. ET
Location: Nationals Park, Washington, DC
TV: Bally Sports Southeast
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, WNNX 100.5, Braves Radio Network