MLB Game Preview - Washington at Arizona

Sat Aug 3, 2019 8:10 PM EDT

Washington right-hander Stephen Strasburg will try to win his eighth consecutive start Saturday when the Nationals play the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix.

Strasburg will be going against an Arizona team that roughed him up for six runs on June 15 -- his only loss in his past 13 outings.

Strasburg (14-4, 3.26 ERA) enters the game tied for the major league lead in victories with the Houston Astros' Justin Verlander, who is scheduled to pitch Sunday, and the Texas Rangers' Lance Lynn, who picked up a victory Friday.

Strasburg went 5-0 with a 1.14 ERA in July. He has 53 strikeouts and 10 walks in his seven-game winning streak.

He will be backed by a new-look bullpen, featuring three relievers added at the trade deadline. Two of those -- left-hander Roenis Elias and right-hander Hunter Strickland, both from Seattle -- made their Washington debut in the series opener Friday night, when the Nationals won 3-0 on a one-hitter.

"It's what we play for, we play to win," the other new reliever, ex-Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Daniel Hudson, said according to mlb.com.

"Everybody wants to get into October and win a World Series. Nobody likes to lose, at least nobody that I've ever met in this game likes to go out there and lose. To get into a locker room with these guys and go into battle with them every night is going to be a lot of fun."

Strickland pitched a perfect seventh inning after Elias retired both batters he faced and was allowed to bat for himself. Although told not to swing, he hit a bouncer over the mound, hustled down the line and grabbed at the back of his right leg while nearing the bag.

Manager Dave Martinez said after the game that Elias was receiving treatment for a cramp, rather than a hamstring injury, and the pitcher would be further evaluated before Saturday's game.

Arizona's only hit Friday night was an infield single by pitcher Alex Young.

"Certain games at certain times leave you scratching your head," said D-backs' manager Torey Lovullo.

"I'm probably working through some of my frustration. We have to find a way out of it (Saturday). ... I know that we're a very capable offensive team. Maybe the pitcher just had good stuff today and beat us, I don't know. But I know our guys have tremendous offensive potential."

Arizona showed that against Strasburg in its previous meeting this season at Washington, D.C. Strasburg gave up a season-high nine hits -- including home runs to Ketel Marte, Adam Jones and Christian Walker -- while yielding six runs in five innings of a 10-3 loss.

Strasburg is 5-4 with a 3.89 ERA in 12 career starts against Arizona.

The Diamondbacks will go with left-hander Robbie Ray (9-7, 3.91), who was pushed back Friday from his scheduled start. The 27-year-old is the team's new ace after Zack Greinke was traded to Houston. Ray will look for his first win against the Nationals, having gone 0-5 with a 6.52 ERA in six career starts.

Ray won four consecutive decisions before losing Sunday at Miami, although he pitched well, allowing three runs (two earned) in six innings, striking out 11 and walking none. He gave up five runs in six innings in a 7-3 loss at Washington on June 14.

Washington's 20-year-old left fielder Juan Soto has 21 home runs on the season, including one in four of his past five games.

--Field Level Media