Washington @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 10, 2019 ) Washington 0, Minnesota 5

The Washington Nationals are suddenly sputtering while trying to pull away in the National League wild-card race and look to start moving in a positive direction when they visit the Minnesota Twins for the middle contest of their three-game interleague series on Wednesday. The Nationals, who are third in the NL in runs scored, managed just two hits in the series-opening 5-0 setback Tuesday - their fifth loss in six games.

Howie Kendrick and Trea Turner had the only hits in the series opener while Anthony Rendon worked a walk to extend his on-base streak to 25 contests for Washington, which is 2 1/2 games ahead of the Chicago Cubs for the top wild-card spot. The Nationals send right-hander Stephen Strasburg to the hill in search of his NL-best 17th victory and the American League Central-leading Twins counter with left-hander Martin Perez after ace Jose Berrios pitched a seven-inning gem Tuesday. Minnesota, which owns a five-game lead over Cleveland, got one of its five ailing regulars back in the lineup as designated hitter Nelson Cruz went 0-for-4, but center fielder Byron Buxton (shoulder) was placed on the 60-day injured list. Catcher Mitch Garver belted his fourth homer in three games Tuesday to give the Twins three players with at least 30 blasts for the fifth time in franchise history as outfielder Max Kepler (36) and Cruz (35) have also reached the milestone.

TV: 7:40 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Washington), FS North (Minnesota)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (16-6, 3.50 ERA) vs. Twins LH Martin Perez (10-6, 4.75)

Strasburg recorded his career-high 16th victory on Aug. 31 with eight scoreless frames and 14 strikeouts against Miami, but matched his season high with four walks in a loss at Atlanta on Thursday. The 31-year-old San Diego State product gave up three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts over six innings of a 4-2 loss to the Braves. Jonathan Schoop is 3-for-6 with two doubles versus Strasburg, who yielded four runs over 7 1/3 innings without a decision in his lone outing against the Twins in 2016.

Perez has permitted two or fewer runs in four of his last five outings after tossing six innings of one-run, two-hit ball to beat Boston 2-1 last Thursday. The 28-year-old Venezuela native has served up 13 of his 20 homers at home, but is 5-3 with a slightly better 4.71 ERA at Target Field in 2019. Brian Dozier is 5-for-12 with a pair of homers and a double against Perez, who gave up two runs and seven hits across five innings without a decision in his only career start versus Washington in 2017.

WALK-OFFS

1. Kepler (chest, shoulder) and 3B Miguel Sano (back) were held out of the Twins lineup and OF-INF Miguel Gonzalez (oblique) is not yet ready to return.

2. Washington LF Juan Soto has 33 homers, the second-most by a 20-year-old in major league history behind only Mel Ott (42, 1929).

3. Minnesota OF-INF Luis Arraez has hit safely in his last eight games with an official at-bat, going 13-for-31 in that stretch.

PREDICTION: Nationals 6, Twins 1