Game 139 lineups: Nats at Braves

ATLANTA - The Nationals certainly did not help their chances of catching the Braves on Wednesday in an 8-4 loss to the Mets. Atlanta was idle, so the Nats fell a full seven games back of the Braves for the top spot in the National League East standings.

The Braves and Nats match up seven times in the next 10 days beginning with four games starting tonight here at SunTrust Park. The season series is all even at 6-6. The Braves have won six in a row. The Nats lead the NL wild card by three games over the Cubs and six games over the Phillies and D-Backs.

Tonight's pitching matchup offers a pair of starters that have 31 combined wins in 2019. They are ranked Nos. 1 and No. 2 in terms of wins in the NL.

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg (16-5, 3.47 ERA) makes his 29th start of the season and is coming off his best outing of the campaign in a 7-0 shutout of the Marlins on Aug. 31. Strasburg fired 107 pitches over eight innings, allowing only two singles in the first inning and striking out a season-high 14 Marlins. Strasburg's 215 strikeouts are second to the Mets Jacob deGrom in the NL.

The Braves will go with left-hander Max Fried (15-4, 4.05 ERA). The 25-year-old is 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA against the Nats this season.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ATLANTA BRAVES
Where: SunTrust Park
Gametime: 7:20 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 1500 AM, MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 90 degrees, winds in from center field at 15 mph

NATIONALS (78-60)
SS Trea Turner
CF VIctor Robles
3B Anthony Rendon
LF Juan Soto
1B Howie Kendrick
C Kurt Suzuki
2B Brian Dozier
RF Michael A. Taylor
RHP Stephen Strasburg

BRAVES (86-54)
CF Ronald Acuña Jr.
2B Ozzie Albies
1B Freddie Freeman
3B Josh Donaldson
C Brian McCann
SS Dansby Swanson
RF Matt Joyce
LF Rafael Ortega
LHP Max Fried