Washington Nationals (7-13) at Atlanta Braves (10-9), 7:10 p.m. (ET)
(SportsNetwork.com) - The Washington Nationals look to get their struggling offense going and snap a six-game slide on Tuesday night when they resume a three-game set with the Atlanta Braves.
Expected to dominate the National League East this season, the Nats instead have plated just 14 runs over their current slide and have fallen to 7-13 on the season after losing last night's series opener 8-4.
In addition to the issues at the plate, the Nationals have allowed 22 runs over their past three games as starter Doug Fister was the latest to struggle. He yielded five runs -- four earned -- over 5 2/3 innings on Monday and committed two of his club's four errors on errant pickoff attempts.
"It's just kind of a constant battle for me," Fister said. "It's always a focus point but tonight was one of those nights I couldn't get on top of it."
Kelly Johnson was one of the Braves who took advantage, going 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and three RBI. A.J. Pierzynski drove in a pair of runs and Eric Stults allowed two runs on four hits over 6 1/3 innings to get the win.
Atlanta had lost five of six coming in, but won the opener of a 10-game homestand. Washington has lost the first four of its 10-game trip.
"I think that we're playing some pretty good ball and we need to keep it going," said the Braves' Jace Peterson, who drove in a run.
This opener did get a bit tense after Washington third baseman and former Brave Yunel Escobar was forced to exit in the fifth inning due to an injured hand. He was hurt on a hard slide by Atlanta's Andrelton Simmons, whose impact into Escobar ripped off the fielder's glove.
Escobar, who came into the contest with an eight-game hitting streak, remained on the field for a moment before exiting. Simmons, meanwhile, was later hit by a pitch in the seventh inning by Nationals reliever Rafael Martin.
Escobar is unlikely to be in the lineup tonight.
That likely leaves Washington without its hottest hitter when it debuts one of its top pitching prospects in A.J. Cole.
The 23-year-old righty will make his major league debut in place of Max Scherzer, who sustained a sprained thumb during an at-bat last week. Cole posted a 2.40 earned run average without a decision over his first three starts of the year at Triple-A Syracuse.
Julio Teheran goes for the Braves looking to work past some issues on the mound.
Teheran yielded four homers in a game for the first time in his career during a no-decision at Toronto on April 17. Six days later at the New York Mets, he walked a career-high five batters and was charged with four runs and three hits over 4 1/3 innings for his first loss of the season.
The righty walked the bases loaded in the first inning and then gave up a bases-clearing double.
Teheran is 2-1 with a 4.64 ERA on the season and 3-2 lifetime versus the Nats with a 3.06 ERA in eight starts.
The Braves went 11-8 against the Nats last season.