Nationals (76-46) vs. Braves (70-52)

Game » 123

Starters » Stephen Strasburg (14-5, 2.91 ERA) vs. Paul Maholm (11-7, 3.39 ERA)

When » Tuesday, 7:05 p.m.

Where » Nationals Park, Washington

TV » MASN HD

Radio » 106.7 The Fan FM, WFED 1500, WHFS 1580

The biggest series of the season continues tonight when the Nationals host the Braves at Nationals Park. We’ll see if the two teams have anything left in the tank after a game Monday night that lasted over 4-and-a-half hours and 13 innings before Washington pulled out a 5-4 win.

That puts the Nats six games ahead of Atlanta in the NL East race. The Braves will sit veteran third baseman Chipper Jones, whose chronic knee pain necessitates a day off after he played the entire way on Monday. Washington manager Davey Johnson says his bullpen is fine despite everyone pitching the day before – even Craig Stammen, who went two innings.

“[Stammen] is probably good to go, too. He’s the strongest one out there,” Johnson said. “The other ones, they’re all volunteering. So we should be all right.”

Strasburg is making his seventh career start against the Braves – tied with his seven against the Miami Marlins. Atlanta has actually had good success against the 24-year-old. He is 2-3 with a 4.70 ERA in 30 2/3 innings. It was the Braves, too, who shocked Strasburg and the Nats on July 20 after rallying from a 9-0 deficit. That all started with four runs off Strasburg in the sixth inning and the bullpen imploded behind him.

Minor news before the game: Johnson said reliever Henry Rodriguez threw a successful, pain-free bullpen session on Tuesday afternoon. He is on the 15-day disabled list, but a return is not imminent. Also, veteran utility man Mark DeRosa is making progress from a groin injury that has landed him on the 15-day disabled list.

Braves

CF – Michael Bourn

LF – Martin Prado

RF – Jason Heyward

1B – Freddie Freeman

2B – Dan Uggla

C – Brian McCann

3B – Juan Francisco

SS – Paul Janish

LHP – Paul Maholm

Nats

RF - Jayson Werth

CF – Bryce Harper

3B – Ryan Zimmerman

LF – Michael Morse

1B – Adam LaRoche

SS – Ian Desmond

2B – Danny Espinosa

C – Jesus Flores

RHP – Stephen Strasburg

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