Game 138 lineups: Nats vs. Braves (Giolito, Difo recalled)

By Mark Zuckerman

Nationals

September 06, 2016, 11:07am

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It hasn't drawn a lot of attention, but Gio Gonzalez has been pretty darn consistent over the last month and a half, righting a season that had threatened to go off the rails. In nine starts since the All-Star break, the left-hander is 5-1 with a 3.00 ERA. Six of those have been quality starts. And in five of his last starts, he has issued zero or one walk.

The Nationals certainly hope Gonzalez will keep this up through the final stretch, beginning tonight when he takes the mound against the Braves (against whom he's 2-0 with a 1.82 ERA over the last two seasons).

Right-hander Williams Perez, whom the Nationals have not faced yet this season, gets the ball for Atlanta. After giving a bunch of guys yesterday off after their early-morning return from New York, Dusty Baker has the regulars back in the lineup tonight as his team seeks its 81st victory of the season.

ATLANTA BRAVES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, XM 183, MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 87 degrees, wind 11 mph left field to right field

NATIONALS (80-57)
CF Trea Turner
LF Jayson Werth
2B Daniel Murphy
RF Bryce Harper
3B Anthony Rendon
C Wilson Ramos
1B Ryan Zimmerman
SS Danny Espinosa
LHP Gio Gonzalez

BRAVES (54-84)
CF Ender Inciarte
3B Adonis Garcia
1B Freddie Freeman
LF Matt Kemp
RF Nick Markakis
C Tyler Flowers
2B Gordon Beckham
SS Dansby Swanson
RHP Williams Perez

Update: The Nationals have recalled right-hander Lucas Giolito and infielder Wilmer Difo from Triple-A Syracuse. Both players are in the clubhouse and available for tonight's game.