Washington @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 16, 2016 ) Washington 7, Atlanta 2

While the Washington Nationals march toward the National League East title, Trea Turner continues to show why he is one of the top rookies in the NL as his team visits the Atlanta Braves on Saturday in the middle contest of a three-game series. Turner slammed his ninth homer of the season in a 4-for-5, two-RBI performance Friday and has punished Atlanta pitching while hitting .438 in 17 career games with five homers, 19 runs scored and 15 RBIs.

Washington leads the division by 10 games over the New York Mets and has a magic number of six to clinch the title. The Braves are trying to avoid losing 100 games for the first time since 1988, and have to go 7-8 over their final 15 games to avoid that dubious distinction. Atlanta left fielder Matt Kemp recorded his 1,500th career hit with a double in the second, finishing 2-for-4 with a run scored, and is hitting .369 with 14 RBIs in his past 15 games. The Braves have lost eight of their past 10, and the pitching staff has a 6.20 ERA during that span.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, FOX

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals LH Gio Gonzalez (11-9, 4.27 ERA) vs. Braves RH Josh Collmenter (1-0, 4.84)

Gonzalez is 5-0 with a 4.22 ERA in his past eight starts – including a six-run, three-inning performance Sept. 6 against the Braves – giving up three earned runs or fewer six times. He gave up one run on four hits with one walk and five strikeouts in seven innings of a 3-2 victory Sunday against Philadelphia. Gonzalez, who turns 31 Monday, is 6-1 with a 3.54 ERA since the All-Star break while holding opponents to a .225 batting average.

Collmenter makes his Atlanta debut after pitching in the Cubs’ minor-league system, which followed making 15 relief appearances for Arizona this season. The 30-year-old gave up four homers in 22 1/3 major-league innings with 11 walks and 17 strikeouts with Arizona before being released in early August. Signed by Chicago three days after being released, he went 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in the Cubs system before being acquired by Atlanta.

WALK-OFFS

1. Atlanta INF Jace Peterson was scratched from Friday’s lineup with a left ankle sprain.

2. Gonzalez has six hits in 47 at-bats this season, but is 4-for-6 with a RBI against the Braves.

3. Braves 1B Freddie Freeman, who did not play Friday after the birth of his first child Thursday, is expected to play Saturday while riding a 20-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Nationals 6, Braves 2