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Washington Nationals vs. Braves Preview (8/12-8/14)

By Ricky Keeler

Aug 7, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Matt Kemp (27) celebrates with first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) after scoring during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 7, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Matt Kemp (27) celebrates with first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) after scoring during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Washington Nationals
Aug 8, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Rob Whalen (63) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

Rob Whalen (1-0, 5.73) vs. Reynaldo Lopez (0-1, 9.35) – 7:05 p.m, MASN

Saturday night will be Whalen’s third start of his Major League career. Against the Brewers on August 8, he went six innings, gave up three runs on five hits, struck out seven, and walked one in a no-decision.

Whalen was one of the players acquired last year in the deal that sent Kelly Johnson to the New York Mets. He has 12 strikeouts in his first two starts, but has given up a home run in each of those games.

The 22-year-old right-hander began his season at double-A Mississippi (7-3, 2.49 ERA) before making three starts at triple-A Gwinnett (0-1, 1.93). In the minor leagues, he only gave up four home runs in 21 starts. He has an average velocity of about 89 miles per hour on his fastball (according to Fangraphs) to go with a slider, breaking ball, and changeup.

Lopez will be getting the call up from triple-A Syracuse to make the start tomorrow night. His last start came for Syracuse on August 7 when he went six innings, gave up five runs on five hits, struck out six, and walked one in a loss.

During that outing, Lopez gave up a grand slam to Yankee prospect Aaron Judge in the sixth inning. In his two starts in the Major Leagues, he has failed to make it past five innings. Against the Giants on July 30, he went four innings, gave up three runs on four hits, struck out four, and walked five in a no-decision.

Prediction: This one is a tossup for me, but before I pick Lopez to win a game, I want to see him get past five innings in an outing. The Braves lineup is an easier lineup to navigate than the Dodgers or Giants, but I think Whalen and Atlanta get a win tomorrow night over the Washington Nationals.

Next: Sunday's Matchup

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