Opposite dugout: Resurgent Zimmerman leads Nats into Battle of Beltways

Manager: Dusty Baker (2nd season)

Record: 21-10

Last 10 games: 6-4

Who to watch: 1B Ryan Zimmerman (.435/.475/.907 with 13 HR, 34 RBIs), RF Bryce Harper (.376/.504/.723 with 9 HR, 27 RBIs), 2B Daniel Murphy (.341/.390/.556 with 5 HR, 28 RBIs), LHP Gio Gonzalez (3-0, 1.64 ERA), RHP Max Scherzer (4-2, 2.66 ERA, 51 Ks), RHP Stephen Strasburg (3-1, 2.66 ERA), RHP Matt Albers (0.77 ERA, 0.51 WHIP)

Season series vs. Orioles: First meeting (1-3 in 2016)

Pitching probables:

May 8: LHP Gio Gonzalez vs. RHP Kevin Gausman, 7:05 p.m., MASN
May 9: RHP Max Scherzer vs. RHP Ubaldo Jiménez, 7:05 p.m., MASN
May 10: LHP Wade Miley vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg, 7:05 p.m., MASN2
May 11: RHP Dylan Bundy vs. RHP A.J. Cole, 7:05 p.m., MASN2

Inside the Nationals:

For the fourth time in the last five years, the Nationals and Orioles will renew the Battle of the Beltways rivalry in a home-and-home series, starting with a two-game series in Baltimore and then shifting to D.C. for two games. This is an earlier-than-usual time for these two teams to meet, but neither have shown any signs of struggle in the cool spring air as opposed to the humidity of mid-August.

The Nationals bring baseball's best record to Camden Yards tonight in Dusty Baker's second season at the helm; they were the first team to hit 20 wins and just suffered their 10th loss only yesterday, a game in which they led in the eighth inning. And while the Nats are traditionally known for their starting pitching (and we'll get to that in a bit), it's the offense that has also been the best in the majors.

At the top of the Nats leaders (and major league leaders at that) is Ryan Zimmerman, who is enjoying a scorching hot start to his 2017 season. After an injury-plagued 2016 in which he made two trips to the disabled list, the 32-year-old first baseman leads the majors in batting average (.435), slugging percentage (.907), OPS (1.382), home runs (13), RBIs (34), hits (47) and extra-base hits (25). He's in the midst of a 13-game hitting streak and has homered in 12 of the Nationals' 31 games.

But it's not just Zimmerman. Bryce Harper, despite missing the last three games this past weekend in Philadelphia with a groin injury, leads the majors in on-base percentage (.504) and runs scored (35), while hitting .376 with nine homers and a 1.227 OPS that ranks just behind Zimmerman's. And not to be outdone, Daniel Murphy is right on their heels, slashing .341/.390/.556 with five homers and 28 RBIs. Don't overlook Anthony Rendon, who is coming off his best week of the season after his historic 6-for-6, three-homer day two Sundays ago.

This week also marks the first time Matt Wieters will face the Orioles, the only major league team he's known before signing with the Nationals as a free agent late in spring training. Wieters is batting .274 with four homers and 12 RBIs this season, and is a career .264 hitter at Camden Yards.

Now about that pitching ... The Nationals rotation owns a 3.51 ERA, which ranks fifth in the majors. But if you take out Jeremy Guthrie's start on April 8 (yes, that Jeremy Guthrie, who gave up 10 runs while just recording two outs), their ERA is 3.05, which would be the best in the big leagues by far. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez, who starts Monday's opener, is also enjoying a resurgent season so far, posting a rotation-best 1.64 ERA while going 3-0. The Nationals have won each of his last five starts since suffering a loss in his season debut on April 6. But Gonzalez is 1-5 with a 3.88 ERA in nine career starts against the Orioles and 1-2 with a 2.81 ERA in five starts at Camden Yards. Max Scherzer starts the Baltimore series finale Tuesday night with a 4-2 record and 2.66 ERA. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner and last year's strikeout king already has 51 Ks, good for third-most in the majors. Scherzer recorded the Nationals' only victory over the Orioles last season, pitching eight shutout innings and fanning 10, and is 5-2 with a 3.32 ERA in nine starts against the Birds and 2-0 with a 4.08 ERA in four starts at Camden Yards.

Stephen Strasburg takes the mound when the teams move down the Baltimore-Washington Parkway to Nats Park on Wednesday. He is 3-1 with a 2.66 ERA in his first six starts. Although he's never pitched in Baltimore, Strasburg is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in two starts against the Orioles. He's posting a 3.00 ERA at home this season while going 1-1. Manny Machado is 3-for-3 against Strasburg including a double, Chris Davis is 1-for-5 with two strikeouts, and Mark Trumbo is 1-for-6 with a homer and three RBIs. The Nationals haven't announced a starter for Thursday's Beltways Series finale, but it could be right-hander Jacob Turner, who has a career 7.71 ERA against the O's. But if he's needed out of the bullpen before then, expect righty A.J. Cole, who gave up four runs and five hits over seven innings against the Birds last year, to get the call.

Update: Cole will start Thursday's finale at Nats Park.

The Nationals bullpen, on the other hand, has been a mess over the first month of the season. Its 5.50 ERA is the worst in the NL and third-worst in the majors. But they've had some tough luck, too. Shawn Kelley, Koda Glover and Sammy Solís are all on the disabled list, while former closer Blake Treinen and Joe Blanton each carry ERAs over 9.00. A revelation, however, has been Matt Albers, yet another former Oriole on this Nats roster. Albers hadn't allowed a run over his first 11 1/3 innings of the season before serving up a three-run homer to the Phillies' Aaron Altherr on Sunday. But his ERA stands at just 0.77 with a minuscule 0.51 WHIP. As for the closer role, what Baker had stressed throughout spring training as a position that would not be "by-committee" has become just that, with five different pitchers recording saves in just the first month.

And just as a reminder, here are some quick numbers on the Nationals-Orioles rivalry since 2005, when the Nats came to D.C.:

* The Orioles lead the all-time series 36-24, going 19-11 at home and 17-13 at Nats Park
* The Orioles won the first three games last year (two in Baltimore and the first in D.C.) before dropping the last
* The Nationals have only won one season series, going 4-2 back in 2007
* The season series has been split three times, each 3-3 in 2006, 2008 and 2011
* Neither team has ever swept a season series