Braves go for a four-game sweep of Nats with a doubleheader in DC

The Atlanta Braves didn't play any baseball on Saturday due to their game with the Nationals being postponed due to weather. This means fans will be treated to a double dip of baseball on Sunday.

It was originally meant to be Kyle Wright and Spencer Strider pitching in each game today but with Charlie Morton hitting the 15-day IL, Allan Winans was called up and will start game 1 instead of Wright.

Strider will still start in game 2 and continue his quest for breaking the Braves franchise record for strikeouts in a season. He is just 7 strikeouts away from besting John Smoltz's record of 276 strikeouts set back in 1996.

Atlanta is also seeking their 100th win of the season and a shot at a 4-game sweep of the Nationals.

Game 1 (Allan Winans vs. Jackson Rutledge)

Allan Winans gets the start in game one of this doubleheader instead of Kyle Wright. Winans was called up to replace Morton who was placed on the IL. It's been up and down for Winans through 4 games with Atlanta.

The Braves did state that Kyle Wright will be available out of the bullpen today and is a role they may consider using him for in the postseason.

He made his debut with Atlanta against the Brewers in July and pitched 4.1 innings allowing 2 runs on 5 hits. Then in August, he faced the Mets twice with the first of those two starts being phenomenal. He tossed 7 innings allowing just 4 hits and striking out nine batters.

The second start was rough against New York as they tagged him for 7 runs over 4.1 innings. He wouldn't pitch for Atlanta again until September 10 when the Braves were facing the Pirates. Winans pitched 6.1 innings allowing 2 runs on 6 hits and struck out 8 batters.

Based on how things have trended, he's due for a poor outing but we will speak against that and hope for a great outing.

He will face off with Jackson Rutledge who is making his third career start. He was roughed up a bit in his debut outing allowing 10 hits and 7 runs through 3.2 innings against the Pirates. However, he improved a bit in his second start against the White Sox lasted 6.1 innings, allowing just 2 runs on 6 hits.

The problem for Rutledge is he is facing one of the most potent offenses in all of baseball that has recently found its stride again. This could be a short outing for the young Nats starter.

Game 2 (Spencer Strider vs. Joan Adon)

Spencer Strider is currently 18-5 on the season and leads all of Major League Baseball with 270 strikeouts. He has a 3.73 ERA and a 2.82 FIP in 176 innings pitched. While he isn't the frontrunner for the NL Cy Young, he is certainly in the conversation.

Strider struck out 11 and allowed three runs over seven innings in his last start which came against the Phillies. The 3 runs scored came from a 3-run homer by Bryce Harper that barely cleared the wall in right field.

Joan Adon will oppose Strider during the second game of Sunday's doubleheader. Adon has appeared in 10 games this season for the Nats. He has a 6.28 ERA and 5.08 FIP through 43 innings. He allowed five runs over five innings in his last start against the White Sox.

The Nationals aren't known for being the best offensively and could be the team that Strider makes history against. You definitely want to tune in for game two of this doubleheader to see if he can do it.

Doubleheader Info

Date/Time: Sunday, 09/24/2023
Game 1 start: 1:35 PM EST
Game 2 start: 6:35 PM EST

Location: Nationals Park in Washington D.C.

Watch: Bally Sports Southeast

Listen: 680 AM/93.7 The Fan