Good Morning Washington Nationals Fan,

Here are the latest headlines and analyses around the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball for today, September 29, 2023. I am Haden Raymer, let’s dive into this series preview.

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Leading today’s Morning Briefing: Nationals begin final series of the season

The Nationals will begin the final series of the season, taking on the MLB-best Atlanta Braves. In game one, Trevor Williams will face off against RH Allan Winans (1-2, 4.33 ERA). In game two, Joan Adon will face RH Spencer Strider (19-5, 3.81 ERA) who is in pursuit of his 20th win. In the final game of the series, Jackson Rutledge will pitch, though his opponent has not been announced. FanGraphs has RH Bryce Elder (12-4, 3.81 ERA) as his projected opponent.

The Nationals face a tough task trying to get that 70th win on the season. One thing going in their favor is the fact that the Braves have already clinched the one cede in the playoffs, making it more likely that the stars rest for a game or two in this final series. On the other hand, the Braves have remarkable depth on the major league roster, and even with the “b-team” trotting out there for the Braves, it will still be a relatively close matchup for the Nationals.

All the Nationals can hope for is that their everyday guys next year continue to impress and that the pitching staff ends the season on a high note. First pitch tonight is at 7:20 p.m. and the game will be televised on MASN2.

Don’t forget to join the discussion

We put up a poll asking who you think the backup catcher should be next season. You can join the conversation here.

Listen to a new episode of In the Clubhouse

Don’t forget to listen to the latest episode of In the Clubhouse. Jeremy and I discussed the past week of baseball, Ildemaro Vargas’s extension, catchers, and the final series of the year. You can watch on YouTube and listen on Substack.

Featured Stories of the Day

Orioles clinch the AL East via ESPN

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