Game Details: Atlanta Braves (14-16, third in the NL East) vs. Washington Nationals (12-14, fourth in the NL East)
Pitching Matchup: LHP Drew Smyly (0-2; 8.05 ERA) vs. LHP Jon Lester (0-0; 0.00 ERA)
Date & Time: Thursday, May 6, 2021 | 4:05 p.m. | Game #27 / Home Game #16
Location: Nationals Park, Washington DC
Internet: YouTube.com/WashingtonNationals
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
SiriusXM Radio: 898

Game-Time Weather via Capital Sports Forecast:
Partly cloudy, temps in the mid 60s. Wind from the NW at 5-10 mph.

Today in Nationals History:
2018 – Trailing the Phillies 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded, Pedro Severino walked to tie the game at 4-4. Then, Wilmer Difo singled to plate Howie Kendrick as the winning run. It was Difo’s first career walk-off hit and Washington’s fourth come-from-behind win of the season. Max Scherzer struck out a season-high 15 batters in 6.1 IP.

Washington Nationals Game Storyline: Nationals look to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Braves

This afternoon, the Washington Nationals look to not get swept by the Atlanta Braves. The Nationals have given up back-to-back grand slams to the Braves hitters. Washington will send southpaw Jon Lester to the mound in hopes of avoiding this fate.

Pitching Matchup

Jon Lester

Jon Lester will make his second start of the season for the Washington Nationals after throwing five scoreless innings against the Marlins in his 2021 debut on Friday. Over his career, the all-star left-hander is 7-2 with a 2.30 ERA in 11 starts against Atlanta. Lester last faced the Atlanta Braves when he was a Chicago Cub and allowed just two earned runs over 12.0 innings in a pair of starts.

Drew Smyly

Drew Smyly is looking to pick up his first win of the season in the series finale against the Washington Nationals. Smyly will enter the game with an 8.05 ERA through 19 innings and has an 0-2 record on the season. He has made two starts and three career appearances against the Washington Nationals and has pitched a 2.50 ERA with four earned runs in 14 innings pitched. Smyly has yet to have a decision in these previous games against the Washington Nationals. He made his 2021 season debut at Nationals Park on April 6, 2021, and he allowed four hits and four runs (two earned) over six innings in Atlanta's loss, 6-5.

GameNotes

Longest-tendered Nationals manager

Today marks current Nationals manager Davey Martinez’s 411th career game as the manager of the Washington Nationals. Today, he will pass former Nationals manager Manny Acta for the longest tendered Nationals manager in history. In his four years as Washington Nationals manager, Martinez has a 213-197 win-loss record, which comes to 52% during the regular season.

Martinez has a 12-5 win-loss record in the postseason, all coming from the 2019 postseason.

In 2019, Martinez led the Washington Nationals to their first-ever World Series win and came in fifth for the 2019 NL Manager of the Year voting.

Roll me a seven

Last night, Trea Turner hit his seventh home run of the season and has now hit safely in 11 of his last 15 games. Currently he is 21-59 with a batting average of .356, one double, seven RBIs, five stolen bases, and nine runs scored in his last 15 games. Turner also leads all NL shortstops in nearly every offensive category and is tied for first among all NL hitters in multi-hit games and stolen bases. Turner is also seventh in slugging percentage, batting average, and OPS.

DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE!

According to FanGraphs.com and Baseball Info Solutions, the Washington Nationals lead the Major League in defensive runs saved with 24. Two highlights:

• Trea Turner leads all NL shortstops and ranks third among MLB shortstops in defensive runs saved with four, according to Fan Graphs.
• Victor Robles leads NL center fielders and also ranks third among all center fielders in defensive runs saved with three.

Wow, there goes Gomes…

Yan Gomes is hitting .467 (7-for-15) with a double, two homers, three RBIs, and three runs scored in his last four games. He hit his third home run of the season in the fourth inning on Wednesday, a solo homer off Max Fried. All three of his home runs this season have been hit at Nationals Park.

Game Lineups (Subject to Change)

Washington Nationals

Trea Turner - SS
Yadiel Hernandez - RF
Josh Harrison - 2B
Starlin Castro - 3B
Josh Bell - 1B
Yan Gomes - C
Kyle Schwarber - LF
Victor Robles - CF
Jon Lester - P

Atlanta Braves

Ronald Acuna Jr. - RF
Ozzie Albies - 2B
Marcell Ozuna - LF
Austin Riley - 1B
Dansby Swanson - SS
Ehire Adriana - 3B
Cristian Pache - CF
Jeff Mathis - C
Drew Smyly - P