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Washington Nationals at Brewers Series Preview (6/24-6/26)

By Ricky Keeler

Jun 17, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun (8) hits a single against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 17, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun (8) hits a single against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Washington Nationals
Jun 18, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) pitches during the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /

Max Scherzer (8-4, 3.29 ERA) vs. Zach Davies (5-3, 3.62) – 8:10 p.m ET, broadcast on MASN2

Tonight, the Washington Nationals will need a vintage ace-like performance from Max Scherzer. In his last outing against the San Diego Padres on Saturday, Scherzer went six innings, gave up one run on four hits and struck out ten in a no-decision because the bullpen blew a late lead in the eighth.

June has been a kind month for Scherzer. He is 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA in four starts and has held opponents to a .162 batting average. He has struck out ten or more batters in three of his last four starts and has given up a total of four runs in his last 28 innings.

Last year, Scherzer had an excellent start at Miller Park. On June 14, he threw a complete game, one-hit shutout while striking out 16. He had a 1.64 ERA in four games against the Brewers. Ryan Braun is 0-for-10 with five strikeouts against Scherzer.

Scherzer will be going up against Zach Davies, a 23-year-old right-hander who made his Major League debut last September. In his last start on June 17 against the Dodgers, he went seven innings, gave up one run on five hits, struck out six, and walked one in a no-decision.

Even though he only has made 18 career starts, Davies is off to a great start to his Major League career. He hasn’t lost a start since April 29 against the Marlins (nine outings). Plus, he has given up two runs or fewer in eight of his last ten starts.

Davies was acquired last July when they traded Gerardo Parra to the Orioles. He has an average velocity of 89 miles per hour on his fastball (according to Fangraphs) to go with a cutter, a breaking ball, and a changeup.

Prediction: With the Washington Nationals struggling to score runs, I expect this game to be a pitcher’s duel considering Davies has a 0.96 ERA in his last four outings. But, I will go with Scherzer to win a close one and snap the losing streak.

Next: Tomorrow's Matchup

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