Game 116 lineups: Nats vs. Braves

The Nationals are back home again, having just suffered through a brutal 1-5 road trip to Atlanta and New York that included blown saves, rain delays, rainouts and other assorted calamities. All of that leaves this team in a prolonged funk unlike any they've experienced in a very long time.

The Nats have lost 27 of their last 37 games. The only worse stretch in club history came near the end of the 2009 season, the last time this franchise lost 100 games. That's how bad things have gotten.

Here's some uplifting news, though: Josiah Gray is on the mound tonight, and at this point every time he takes the mound it's reason to be excited. The young right-hander was electric in his last start (the one win the Nationals got in Atlanta) and struck out 10 in only five innings. It'll be very interesting to see how he fares facing the same opponent in back-to-back outings.

Also facing the Nats in back-to-back starts is Charlie Morton, who shut them out over six innings in that same game Gray started last Saturday night. The Nationals did storm back to win, thanks to Riley Adams' ninth-inning homer, but they'll hope for better results earlier in this one.

ATLANTA BRAVES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Storms ending, 85 degrees, wind 8 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
CF Victor Robles
SS Alcides Escobar
RF Juan Soto
1B Josh Bell
LF Yadiel Hernandez
3B Carter Kieboom
2B Luis García
C Tres Barrera
RHP Josiah Gray

BRAVES
2B Ozzie Albies
RF Jorge Soler
1B Freddie Freeman
3B Austin Riley
SS Dansby Swanson
LF Adam Duvall
C Travis d'Arnaud
CF Joc Pederson
RHP Charlie Morton