Sunday Night Baseball: Braves and Nationals Meet on ESPN

Braves Look to Salvage Split in 4 Game Series

Tonight on Sunday Night Baseball, the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves meet at SunTrust Park. The Nationals got a win on Saturday night to take a 2-1 series lead in this NL East battle as the Nationals continued their solid play.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN; LINE: Braves -151; O/U: 11 Under -112

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Joe Ross (0-1, 11.05 ERA) vs. Braves RH Kevin Gausman (2-5, 6.21)

The Nationals needed a victory Saturday in their four-game series and they got a strong showing from shortstop Trea Turner. He led a 5-3 victory and a chance to win the series entering Sunday night. Turner went 2-for-5 with a double and scored twice to take a 2-1 series lead. He raised his lifetime average against the Braves to .348 in 58 career games. Washington pulled within 5.5 games of the East lead.

Turner had plenty of help at the top of the lineup. He teamed with No. 2 hitter and Adam Eaton to go 5-for-10 with three runs scored and two RBI's. Washington improved to a big-league best 33-14 since May 24. They won for the 15th time in its past 20 games.

The Braves had plenty of chances to score more but finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. They left 10 runners on base, dropping to 9-6 in July and losing for the fourth time in their past five games. Center fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first Atlanta player since Jason Heyward (2012) to reach the "20/20" club. That is 20 homers and 20 stolen bases in the same season. He extended his on-base streak to 26 games by going 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. Catcher Brian McCann homered and drove in two runs. He went 3-for-4 to raise his average to .279 on the season.

This, That, and a Dart Throw

Washington would love for Max Scherzer to return from the injured list and take his turn in the rotation. The ace remains sidelined with an inflamed bursa sac below his right shoulder. Austin Voth is experiencing tenderness in his shoulder after a bullpen session on Thursday. That means the Nationals turn to Ross. They flew him in from Triple-A, Fresno, on Saturday in case they needed him for the series finale. Ross made 48 career starts for the Nationals from 2015-18. All 17 of his appearances this season have come out of the bullpen. He is 2-3 with a 4.28 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in eight starts in the minors this season.

The Braves, Gausman suffered through an inconsistent first two months of the season before landing on the injured list with right plantar fasciitis. He gave up 19 runs on 25 hits in 8 1/3 innings across his final three starts. Gausman pitched to a 2.87 ERA in 10 starts after being acquired from Baltimore at last season's trade deadline. He was key in helping the Braves win the NL East. He allowed four runs or more in seven of his 13 starts this season. Results during his injury rehab assignment have been encouraging. He gave up one unearned run in six innings at Double-A Mississippi on July 11. Then he struck out 10 over seven innings for Triple-A Gwinnett.

The Dart Throw: Braves 8, Nationals 5

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Nationals vs Braves Betting Odds & Trends

Washington Nationals
Washington is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games
Washington is 15-5 SU in its last 20 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Washington's last 10 games
Washington is 17-5 ATS in its last 22 games on the road
Washington is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Washington's last 9 games on the road
Washington is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Atlanta
Washington is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Washington is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Washington is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Atlanta

Atlanta Braves
Atlanta is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Atlanta's last 12 games
Atlanta is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Atlanta is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Atlanta's last 23 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 6 games at home
Atlanta is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Washington
Atlanta is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing Washington
Atlanta is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington
Atlanta is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington

Next up:
Washington home to Colorado Monday, July 22
Atlanta home to Kansas City Tuesday, July 23

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