Cleveland @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 28, 2019 ) Cleveland 7, Washington 10

The Washington Nationals are building plenty of momentum heading into the playoffs and can finish the regular season with an eight-game winning streak when they host the Cleveland Indians on Sunday afternoon. The Nationals pounded their way to a 10-7 victory Saturday to clinch home field for the National League Wild Card Game against either St. Louis or Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

Gerardo Parra launched a grand slam in a nine-run second inning Saturday and is 5-for-7 with two blasts along with eight RBIs in the series while Trea Turner extended his hitting streak to 11 games (17-for-51, five homers, 10 RBIs) for Washington. Joe Ross gets the ball for the Nationals, who are 13-6 in interleague play this year, in the series finale and fellow right-hander Mike Clevinger goes after his career-high 14th victory for Cleveland. The Indians, who were eliminated from the American League wild-card race Friday, have dropped four straight games while getting outscored 34-12 in the process despite belting four homers in the latest loss - two from Jordan Luplow. Cleveland manager Terry Francona rested some of his regulars in Saturday’s setback, but Franmil Reyes was 2-for-3 with a two-run blast and is 9-for-22 with six runs scored, two homers and five RBIs during a six-game hitting streak.

TV: 3:05 p.m. ET, TBS, STO (Cleveland), MASN2 (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Mike Clevinger (13-3, 2.39 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Joe Ross (3-4, 5.90)

Clevinger has not given up a run in his last two starts while yielding 12 hits and striking 16 over 13 innings with a pair of victories. The 28-year-old has allowed two or fewer runs in 14 of his last 16 starts, boasts a 1.57 ERA in September and owns 165 strikeouts across 120 1/3 innings overall. Brian Dozier is 5-for-15 with two homers versus Clevinger, who faces Washington for the first time and is 1-3 with a 5.17 ERA in six career interleague starts.

Ross is winless in his last four trips to the mound, but gave up just three total runs in three of those outings as the Nationals earned a trio of wins. The 26-year-old Californian ran off three straight victories in the first half of August - before his current winless streak - when he permitted one run across 18 innings combined. Yasiel Puig is 3-for-6 with a homer and five RBIs against Ross, who meets the Indians for the first time and is 2-2 with a 5.46 ERA lifetime in interleague play.

WALK-OFFS

1. Washington INF Asdrubal Cabrera is 6-for-12 with seven runs scored, five RBIs and four walks during his five-game hitting streak.

2. Cleveland SS Francisco Lindor has struggled down the stretch, recording just two hits in 27 at-bats in his last seven games.

3. Nationals 1B Ryan Zimmerman had two hits Saturday and is 8-for-18 in his last six contests after going 7-for-34 to start the month.

PREDICTION: Indians 5, Nationals 2