Washington @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 29, 2016 ) Washington 4, San Francisco 1

The Washington Nationals hope to have Daniel Murphy in the lineup when they visit the San Francisco Giants on Saturday afternoon for the third contest of the four-game series between the division leaders. Murphy, who is among the major league leaders with a .351 batting average, exited Friday's 4-1 victory an inning after pulling up gingerly on an RBI triple in the fifth.

The All-Star second baseman has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games for the Nationals, who are 3-1 on their nine-game road trip and own a six-game lead over Miami in the NL East. San Francisco saw its advantage over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West dwindle to one game as it suffered its third consecutive defeat. The Giants have struggled mightily since the All-Star break, going 1-7 on their eight-game road trip before dropping four of the first five contests of their seven-game homestand. Gregor Blanco drove in the lone run for San Francisco on Friday, giving him an RBI in each of the first two contests of the series following a 12-game drought.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FS1, MASN2 (Washington), CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Reynaldo Lopez (0-1, 11.57 ERA) vs. Giants RH Jake Peavy (5-9, 5.42)

Lopez will be recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to make his second start of the season in place of the injured Joe Ross. The 22-year-old Dominican made his major league debut July 19, suffering the loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers after surrendering six runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings. Lopez, who recorded nine strikeouts in the setback, has gone a combined 5-5 with one shutout and a 2.90 ERA in 17 starts with Syracuse and Double-A Harrisburg this year.

Peavy looks to avoid a third consecutive loss after yielding a combined 10 runs and seven hits — five homers — in setbacks to Boston and Cincinnati. The 35-year-old native of Alabama averaged one strikeout per frame, however, and issued only three walks in the defeats. Peavy owns a 5-6 record with two of his six career shutouts and a 4.07 ERA in 14 games (13) starts against Washington.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Nationals turned their first triple play since the franchise moved from Montreal in 2005 on Friday, escaping a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the eighth inning with their 4-1 lead intact.

2. San Francisco INF Eduardo Nunez made his debut Friday after being acquired from Minnesota, striking out in his only at-bat after entering on a double switch, while OF Hunter Pence (hamstring) is expected to be activated from the disabled list Saturday.

3. Washington placed Jose Lobaton (elbow) on the 15-day disabled list and recalled fellow C Pedro Severino, who went 0-for-2 with a walk in one game with the club earlier this season.

PREDICTION: Giants 6, Nationals 4