Game 138 lineups: Nats at Braves

While he's been one of the bright spots in an otherwise lost season, there's no way around the fact that as righty Paolo Espino's innings totals have gone up, his effectiveness has gone down. Espino (4-4, 4.08 ERA) starts tonight as the Nationals open a three-game series at Atlanta, and is hoping to deliver both some length and some efficiency.

In six starts since the trade deadline, Espino is 1-2 wih a 6.57 ERA and an opponent slash line of .297/.336/.564. He's eclipsed five innings only once during that span - in his last start, when he went 5 1/3 in a no-decision against the Phillies on Sept. 2 - and has yielded six homers in 24 2/3 frames.

Espino is 0-1 with a 4.09 ERA and 1.182 WHIP in six lifetime games against the Braves, including one start. He's held current Braves to a .233/.298/.605 slash line, allowing five homers by five different hitters. Austin Riley is 3-for-4 with a solo homer, Freddie Freeman is 2-for-5 with a solo blast and Joc Pederson is 1-for-2 with a double. Six of the 10 hits the Braves have off him lifetime have gone for extra bases.

The Nats have asked a lot of a guy who came out of nowhere to assume a rotation spot, but it's clear Espino is wearing down.

Atlanta will start left-hander Max Fried (11-7, 3.51 ERA), who is 3-1 with a 4.76 ERA in five starts against the Nats this season. In his last six starts overall, Fried is 4-0 with a 1.62 ERA and a .199 opponent average.

Current Nationals have yet to hit a home run off Fried. Yadiel Hernandez is 3-for-7 with an RBI and Ryan Zimmerman is 3-for-10 with two doubles and two RBIs.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ATLANTA BRAVES
Where: Truist Park
Gametime: 7:20 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Cloudy with thunderstorms, 79 degrees, wind 4 mph out to right field

NATIONALS
CF Lane Thomas
SS Alcides Escobar
RF Juan Soto
1B Josh Bell
3B Carter Kieboom
LF Yadiel Hernandez
C Riley Adams
2B Luis García
RHP Paolo Espino

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