Milwaukee @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 1, 2013 ) Milwaukee 5, Washington 10

Bryce Harper is back and the Washington Nationals may be primed to make their move. Harper and the Nationals seek their third straight win when they host the reeling Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday. Washington took the series opener with a 10-5 victory that was highlighted by Harper's homer in his first at-bat after coming off the disabled list.

The 20-year-old star had missed more than a month of action due to bursitis in his left knee injury. The Nationals are 16-21 this year without Harper, but improved to 26-19 with him in the lineup Monday. Milwaukee also will get a star outfielder back whenever Ryan Braun returns from a thumb injury, but there may not be much left for which to play. The last-place Brewers have dropped six in a row and five straight on the road.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Wisconsin (Milwaukee), MASN (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RP Wily Peralta (5-9, 5.58 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (4-6, 2.41)

Peralta's campaign continues to be an inconsistent one. After tossing seven scoreless innings in a gem against Atlanta, he gave up seven runs (three earned) and eight hits in five frames of a loss to the Chicago Cubs. Peralta faced the Nationals just once, giving up three runs on five hits and four walks in 2 2/3 rocky innings on Sept. 22.

Since coming off the disabled list midway through June, Strasburg has looked like his dominant self - allowing four runs in 19 innings over the course of three starts. He sports a 1.34 ERA in seven home starts and has lasted at least seven frames in five of them. The Brewers are the only National League team that Strasburg has yet to face.

WALK-OFFS

1. Nationals LF Jayson Werth had five RBIs in Monday's win. He is 11-for-28 with five extra-base hits in his last eight games.

2. Braun is expected to swing a bat Tuesday. There is no timetable for his return.

3. Washington scored in double figures once in its first 80 games before doing so in each of the last two contests.

PREDICTION: Nationals 6, Brewers 3