MLB Game Preview - Washington at San Francisco

Tue Aug 6, 2019 9:45 PM EDT

A hot pitcher will face a team he has dominated in his career when right-hander Anibal Sanchez leads the visiting Washington Nationals against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.

The Nationals got a leg up in the three-game series that has playoff ramifications when Erick Fedde and three relievers combined to shut out the Giants 4-0 on Monday night.

The win allowed Washington (59-53) to move into a tie with Philadelphia (59-53) for the top spot in the National League wild card standings, while at the same time pushing San Francisco (56-57) 3 1/2 games back.

Sanchez (6-6, 3.80) hasn't lost since May 10, a stretch of 12 games in which he's gone 6-0 with a 2.88 ERA.

He's been even more dominant in his career in San Francisco, going 3-0 with a 0.58 ERA in four starts, two of which have been complete-game shutouts. He's allowed just two runs in 31 career innings at Oracle Park.

In seven lifetime matchups with the Giants, he's gone 4-1 with a 2.05 ERA.

Sanchez reportedly could be getting additional offensive support Tuesday, with the Nationals expecting Asdrubal Cabrera to join the club after having been released by the Texas Rangers over the weekend.

Cabrera can play all infield positions, which is especially important for the Nationals with first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and second baseman Howie Kendrick injured.

Left-handed-hitting Matt Adams filled in admirably for Zimmerman in the series opener with a two-run double, but chances are the Nationals will be looking for a righty swinger to man the position Tuesday against Giants left-hander Conner Menez (0-0, 3.60).

"It's tough," Nationals manager Dave Martinez lamented before a game in which he used just one player (pinch-hitter Gerardo Parra) off the bench. "Even pinch-hitting fairly early when you don't have those guys, it's tough."

Menez will be making his second major league start, having limited the New York Mets to two runs and three hits over five innings in a 3-2 win on July 21. He did not get a decision in the game.

After the successful effort, Menez was sent back to the minors, where Giants manager Bruce Bochy knew the 24-year-old would be ready when called upon.

"He's had a nice year. That's why he's here," the veteran manager explained to reporters Monday. "I thought he gave us a solid five innings in the game that he did start here."

The Giants have lost four of five, due in large part to an offense that's gone cold after a torrid stretch bridging June and July.

After scorching the opposition for 115 runs over a 14-game span from June 30 to July 17, the Giants have totaled just 57 runs in their last 17 games.

The Giants have been without their top hitter, .346-hitting outfielder Alex Dickerson, in the last six games because of a strained right oblique.

San Francisco got just one extra-base hit in the series-opening loss, that coming off the bat of pitcher Jeff Samardzija.

--Field Level Media