Game 139 lineups: Nats at Braves

Game 139 lineups: Nats at Braves

What's the best thing the Nationals could do to give themselves a better chance of winning tonight against the Braves? How about a quality performance from their starter, allowing them to avoid falling into an early hole yet again and asking their lineup to battle back just to make it interesting late?

As impressive as the offense has been with all these rallies of late - they've come back to at least tie the game six straight times - the task would be so much simpler if they weren't giving up so many runs and forcing a comeback.

Thumbnail image for Nolin-Throws-Gray-Sidebar.jpgSo the task falls upon Sean Nolin tonight in Atlanta to do his best to reverse the trend. The journeyman left-hander was pretty effective in his last start, holding the Mets to two runs in five innings. And that came in his third outing against New York in less than a month. This will be his first start against the Braves, and as we know, it's a potent lineup for any opposing pitching staff.

Nolin will be working with Keibert Ruiz, who makes his first start behind the plate since Saturday, when he fouled a ball off his right knee and suffered a bone bruise as a result. Ruiz, who pinch-hit during Tuesday night's loss, was deemed good to catch tonight, and manager Davey Martinez will hope to keep him in the lineup four or five games per week the rest of the season.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ATLANTA BRAVES
Where: Truist Park
Gametime: 7:20 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Chance of rain, 78 degrees, wind 6 mph right field to left field

NATIONALS
CF Lane Thomas
SS Alcides Escobar
RF Juan Soto
1B Josh Bell
LF Yadiel Hernandez
3B Carter Kieboom
C Keibert Ruiz
2B Luis García
LHP Sean Nolin

BRAVES
2B Ozzie Albies
RF Jorge Soler
1B Freddie Freeman
3B Austin Riley
CF Adam Duvall
C Travis d'Arnaud
SS Dansby Swanson
LF Eddie Rosario
RHP Touki Toussaint

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