Game 94: Astros at Nats

Foster Griffin takes the mound for his final start before the All-Star break, hoping to lead the Nationals to a series win

The Nationals have a chance to win a series tonight. That would be three of their last four, 10 of their last 14. And they’ve got their most-reliable pitcher on the mound for this one against the Astros.

Foster Griffin has been a model of consistency. The left-hander comes into this one 9-2 with a 2.87 ERA and 1.035 WHIP. More recently, he’s allowed zero or one run in each of his last six starts, striking out 35 while walking only five. Blake Butera purposely held Griffin to five innings and 83 pitches last time out because of a heavier workload leading up to that start. With the All-Star break looming, you would think the reins will be off tonight.

The Nats will be going up against Houston right-hander Spencer Arrighetti, who like Tatsuya Imai on Tuesday can be prone to command woes. The right-hander has averaged more than four walks per nine innings this season, though he is coming off an excellent start in which he held the Rays to one run on two hits and one walk over six innings.

HOUSTON ASTROS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: Nationals TV (channel listings)
Radio: 106.7 FM
Weather: Partly cloudy, 83 degrees, 7 mph out to left

ASTROS
2B Jose Altuve
DH Yordan Alvarez
3B Isaac Paredes
1B Christian Walker
RF Cam Smith
C Yainer Diaz
CF Brice Matthews
LF Zach Dezenzo
SS Nick Allen

RHP Spencer Arrighetti

NATIONALS
RF James Wood
1B Luis García Jr.
3B Curtis Mead
SS CJ Abrams
LF Daylen Lile
CF Dylan Crews
2B Jorbit Vivas
DH José Tena
C Keibert Ruiz

LHP Foster Griffin