Game 6 lineups: Nats at Braves

ATLANTA – If you had to venture a guess which of these two teams’ pitching staffs is on the ropes entering tonight’s game, how many of you would just assume it’s the Nationals? Well, you’d be wrong. The Nats got a strong start Monday night from Josh Rogers and didn’t have to use up their A bullpen. The Braves, meanwhile, had to use up both of their potential candidates to start tonight’s game in long relief during the 11-2 blowout: Spencer Strider and Tucker Davidson.

That means Atlanta didn’t have anyone on the current staff to start tonight. So the club has called up Bryce Elder from Triple-A Gwinnett to make his major league debut. Elder, 22, was the Braves’ fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft (the same one in which the Nationals selected Cade Cavalli in the first round). It’s a fast track to the big leagues for the right-hander, but he went 11-5 with a 2.75 ERA and 155 strikeouts in 137 2/3 innings across three minor league affiliates last year.

The Nationals, on the other hand, have opening day starter Patrick Corbin back on the mound for his second outing of the season. Corbin looked quite good for three innings against the Mets on Thursday before faltering in the fourth and fifth. You’d hope he can keep up the stamina a little longer tonight, though he’s facing a Braves lineup that did plenty of damage against him last season: Corbin lost all three of his head-to-head starts with an unsightly 8.44 ERA.

As promised, Davey Martinez has Victor Robles back in the lineup after the center fielder got Monday’s series opener off. Lane Thomas, though, is on the bench despite a solid night at the plate, leaving left field open for Yadiel Hernandez, who has swung a good bat so far himself. And Lucius Fox, one of Sunday’s heroes, is back in the lineup at shortstop in place of Alcides Escobar (who is 1-for-15 with an unsightly seven strikeouts).

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ATLANTA BRAVES
Where: Truist Park
Gametime: 7:20 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 80 degrees, wind 9 mph in from right field

NATIONALS
2B César Hernández
RF Juan Soto
DH Nelson Cruz
1B Josh Bell
C Keibert Ruiz
LF Yadiel Hernandez
3B Maikel Franco
SS Lucius Fox
CF Victor Robles

LHP Patrick Corbin

BRAVES
2B Ozzie Albies
1B Matt Olson
3B Austin Riley
LF Marcell Ozuna
C Travis d’Arnaud
CF Adam Duvall
SS Dansby Swanson
RF Guillermo Heredia
DH Orlando Arcia

RHP Bryce Elder