The Atlanta Braves, riding a 16-8 record, head to Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. to face the Washington Nationals, who are clinging to a .500-ish vibe at 11-13. Martin Perez, the Braves' lefty ace, takes the mound with a 1-1 record and a 2.21 ERA that's making opponents wonder if his stuff is legit - for now, at least. His counterpart, Cade Cavalli, is looking to reboot his season after a shaky start, which, let's be real, is a task we've all faced on Tuesday mornings.
The Braves boast a .272 team batting average, which is basically a nasty .272 better than the Nationals' .253, but hey, don't tell Washington they aren't hitting well. Atlanta's injury report includes Blake Burkhalter on the 7-Day IL and catcher Sean Murphy on the 10-Day IL, so some moving parts here. Perez's form has been on point, but can he keep it up against a Nationals lineup that's hungrier for wins than a Nationals Park concession stand on a summer evening? Make your pick or join the discussion on StreakChat.