Cleveland @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 27, 2019 ) Cleveland 2, Washington 8

The Washington Nationals have secured a spot in next Tuesday’s National League Wild Card Game, but there is still plenty of work to do as they host the Cleveland Indians for an interleague contest on Saturday afternoon. The Nationals recorded an 8-2 triumph Friday to end Cleveland’s hopes of an American League playoff spot and can seal home field for the Wild Card Game with a win or a Milwaukee loss Saturday.

Trea Turner launched a two-run homer in the latest victory to increase his hitting streak to 10 contests (16-for-46, five blasts, 10 RBIs) and teammate Gerardo Parra added three hits and four RBIs for Washington, which has won six straight games and eight of nine. Left-hander Patrick Corbin will go after his career-high 15th victory when he takes the mound for the Nationals in the middle game of the series while Cleveland counters with righty Adam Plutko. The Indians faded out of a three-way battle for two AL wild-card spots after losing their third straight contest Friday, getting outscored 24-5 in the sudden slump and managing a total of seven hits in the past two outings. Ryan Flaherty doubled in a run in the latest loss, but the bats went cold for the key players at the top and in the middle of the lineup for Cleveland the past few days as they fell three games behind Tampa Bay with two left.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1, STO (Cleveland), MASN2 (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Adam Plutko (7-4, 4.25 ERA) vs. Nationals LH Patrick Corbin (14-7, 3.05)

Plutko has not allowed more than two runs in six of his last seven trips to the mound after holding Philadelphia to one on four hits over 4 1/3 innings last Sunday. The 27-year-old UCLA product is 3-1 with a 3.59 ERA over his last eight starts while striking out 36 and walking 14 across 42 2/3 innings in that stretch. Asdrubal Cabrera is 2-for-2 with a double and homer versus Plutko, who faces Washington for the first time and is 1-0 with a 2.66 ERA lifetime in interleague play.

Corbin has strung together wins in three straight starts, permitting six runs (four earned) over 18 innings with 20 strikeouts combined in that span. The 30-year-old New York native held Philadelphia to one run on three hits and four walks across six innings last Monday to tie his career high in victories (2013, 2017). Yasiel Puig is 9-for-29 with a homer against Corbin, who pitched six scoreless innings in his only career meeting with the Indians in 2017.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cleveland 3B Jose Ramirez (sore hand) was held out of the lineup Friday after belting three homers in three games since returning from the injured list.

2. The Nationals would like to get 3B Anthony Rendon going again as he was hitless in two at-bats Friday, dropping to 2-for-26 in his past nine games.

3. Indians 1B Carlos Santana leads the team with a career high-tying 34 homers, but has not gone deep in his last 13 contests.

PREDICTION: Nationals 6, Indians 2