Game Preview: Washington Nationals look to even the series in Game 2 at the Braves

Game preview and summary as the Washington Nationals look to bounce back tonight against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, September 20, 2022.

by The Nats Report Newsroom

Updated September 20, 2022

Atlanta, GA - The Washington Nationals look to even the series against the Atlanta Braves tonight as they send LHP Patrick Corbin to the mound. Last night the Nationals dropped the first game of this three-game series with the Atlanta Braves, 5–2, on Monday night. Joey Meneses matched a career-high with four hits, while Alex Call went 1-for-4 with a double and one RBI.

Following this series, the Nationals will enjoy a day off in Miami on Thursday before opening a three-game series against the Marlins on Friday night.

LHP Patrick Corbin faces the Braves for the fourth time this season and is 0-3 with a 9.88 ERA in three previous starts.

Game Notes:

This week, CJ Abrams will play at Truist Park for the ﬁrst time in his young career against the Braves. Abrams graduated from Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, GA, where he played for coach Andy Harlin Abrams was named 2019 Georgia Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year while leading Blessed Trinity to a top-50 national ranking and the Class AAAA semiﬁnals. Since Aug. 15 - Abrams' debut with the club - the Nationals rank fourth in Major League Baseball in opponents' batting average on ground balls (.210 opp. AVG). From Opening Day through Aug. 14, the Nationals ranked 29th in MLB with a .275 opponents' average on grounders.
In 41 games since making his Major League debut on Aug. 2, Joey Meneses is hitting .325 with ten doubles, nine home runs, 23 RBI, eight walks, and 25 runs scored. Meneses has 16 multi-hit efforts. His 54 hits through his first 41 games are the most by any rookie through his first 41 games in franchise history (MON/WSH). His inside-the-park home run on Friday night was the eighth in Nationals history (2005-pres.)
Washington's bullpen has allowed two earned runs in 16.0 innings (1.13 ERA) across the last four games… The group has 14 strikeouts, three walks and a .228 opponent average over this stretch.
Luis García has reached base safely in 20 of his last 22 games. His career-high 20-game on-base streak was snapped on Sunday afternoon due largely to Sandy Alcantara's complete-game effort. It was the longest active streak in Major League Baseball and at the time and stands as the second-longest streak by a Nationals player this season (Juan Soto, 27 G).