National League strikeout leader Stephen Strasburg will take the hill for the NL East-leading Nationals against the Braves on Wednesday.
Wednesday MLB viewing guide: Stephen Strasburg, Nationals host Braves
The Nationals send strikeout master Stephen Strasburg to the mound in their quest to take control of the top spot in the NL.
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Strasburg enters the day with 215 punch-outs, two ahead of Reds ace Johnny Cueto. Strasburg whiffed five batters in his last start, a 9-8 loss to the Phillies in which he was failed by his bullpen. The 26-year-old right-hander allowed only one run on four hits in six innings to lower his ERA to 3.43 in 189 innings spanning a league-leading 30 starts.
The Braves entered Tuesday trailing the Nats by eight games in the division but are otherwise still firmly entrenched in the postseason race, sitting 1½ games back of the Pirates, who occupy the second Wild Card spot in the NL. They'll be counting on Aaron Harang to help them inch closer. Harang owns a respectable 3.87 ERA, but that has gone up by a half-run as a result of a five-start stretch in which the 36-year-old righty allowed 21 earned runs in 27⅓ innings.
Wednesday’s MLB schedule
| Time (ET) | Game | TV | Reason to watch |
| 1:35 p.m. | Orioles at Red Sox | MASN, NESN | Wei-Yin Chen (14-4, 3.69 ERA) has lost just twice in his last 21 starts |
| 4:05 p.m. | Braves at Nationals | MLB Network, SportSouth, MASN 2 | Stephen Strasburg leads the NL with 215 strikeouts |
| 7:05 p.m. | Twins at Indians | FS North, SportsTime Ohio | The Twins need a win and losses by the Royals and Mariners to avoid elimination |
| 7:05 p.m. | Pirates at Phillies | ROOT Pittsburgh, CSN Philly | Vance Worley returns to Philly for the first time since being traded in Dec. 2012 |
| 7:05 p.m. | Rays at Yankees | Sun Sports, YES | The Yankees are trying to stay within five games of a postseason spot |
| 7:07 p.m. | Cubs at Blue Jays | CSN Chicago, Rogers Sportsnet, TVA Sports | Kyle Hendricks (6-1, 2.02 ERA) is a darkhorse NL ROY candidate |
| 7:08 p.m. | Royals at Tigers | ESPN, FS Kansas City, FS Detroit | The winner takes over sole possession of first place in the AL Central |
| 7:10 p.m. | Rockies at Mets | ROOT Rocky Mountain, SNY | Tyler Matzek: 2.52 ERA, 31 strikeouts in last 35⅔ innings spanning five starts |
| 7:10 p.m. | Cardinals at Reds | FS Midwest, FS Ohio | Cards opening up a wide gap in NL Central; Reds hanging on for dear life (8½ GB in Wild Card) |
| 8:05 p.m. | Angels at Rangers | FS West, FS Southwest | Matt Shoemaker (14-4, 3.25 ERA) tries to bounce back from worst outing in more than two months |
| 8:10 p.m. | Marlins at Brewers | FS Florida, FS Wisconsin | Wily Peralta has allowed 16 runs in his last 14 innings, highlighting Brewers' struggles |
| 8:10 p.m. | Athletics at White Sox | CSN California, WCIU | Jeff Samardzija's last three starts: 28 strikeouts, one walk |
| 10:10 p.m. | Astros at Mariners | CSN Houston, ROOT Northwest | Nick Tropeano (9-5, 3.03 ERA in Triple-A) makes his MLB debut |
| 10:10 p.m. | Padres at Dodgers | FS San Diego, SportsNet LA | The Dodgers are jockeying for position in the race for home field advantage in the NL postseason |
| 10:15 p.m. | Diamondbacks at Giants | ESPN, FS Arizona, CSN Bay Area | Josh Collmenter (10-7, 3.81 ERA) is on the verge of setting new career highs in wins and innings pitched |
Relevant links
- Don Kelly's presence in the Tigers' lineup might be hard to explain, writes Bless You Boys' Catherine Slonksnis, but one thing is for sure: it's working.
- The Cardinals are in good shape in the NL Central as a direct result of their success against the Brewers and Pirates, explains Ben Humphrey of Viva El Birdos.
- If the Yankees are still in the race in a couple of weeks or so, they could get a major shot in the arm:
Masahiro Tanaka throws 45 pitches in sim game; still aims to start for @Yankees this season: http://t.co/YFDp4y7tlC pic.twitter.com/nku4RvbWjk
— MLB (@MLB) September 10, 2014 See More:
