Nats' Harper tries to stay hot vs. Braves
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(SportsNetwork.com) - Bryce Harper is seeing the ball very well.
Harper will try to keep the momentum going for the Washington Nationals Saturday in the middle portion of a three-game series versus the Atlanta Braves.
The slugging outfielder has five home runs and 10 RBI in his previous two games and went deep twice Friday to power the Nationals to a 9-2 win. Harper, who clubbed three homers in Wednesday's win over Miami, is batting .750 during the two-game tear. Harper ended 3-for-4 with five RBI last night.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Hopefully I hit two more tomorrow," Harper said.
Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was impressed.
"That's a special month for a lot of people and he's done it in two days," Freeman said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Danny Espinosa also hit a pair of homers for the Nationals, who have won five of six and eight of their last 10 games. Gio Gonzalez struck out eight and allowed two runs on five hits and a walk over seven innings for the win
Jayson Werth got into the home run mix with a solo shot.
Taking the mound for the Nationals Saturday will be Doug Fister. Fister is 2-1 with a 2.61 ERA in five starts and threw 6 1/3 shutout innings in a 1-0 victory over the New York Mets on Sunday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fister was beaten by Atlanta the previous time out on April 27 and surrendered five runs -- four earned -- and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings. Fister has made four career starts against the Braves, going 3-1 with a 2.28 ERA.
The Braves kicked off a nine-game road trip on a sour note and all four of their pitchers served up at least one home run. Eric Stults allowed two and lasted six innings on the hill, giving up three runs and seven hits with seven strikeouts and no walks.
"They're hot right now," Stults said of the Nats. "They're swinging the bat well. They're not missing many pitches and they're a team that can do some damage. They have guys who can drive the ball. It's just a matter of trying to execute pitches, and tonight we didn't do enough of it."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Brandon Cunniff, Williams Perez and Trevor Cahill gave up a home run apiece.
Freeman doubled twice and drove in a run for the Braves, who entered Friday's game having won four of six games.
Atlanta will also visit Cincinnati and Miami on the trip.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Julio Teheran gets the call for the Braves Saturday and is 3-1 with a 3.82 ERA in six starts. Teheran prevailed his last time out in Sunday's 5-0 win over Cincinnati and delivered six scoreless innings of three-hit ball.
Teheran rebounded from a 13-12 loss to Washington on April 28, when he was touched for seven runs -- three earned -- and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings. He is 3-2 with a 3.23 ERA in nine career starts against the Nationals.
Washington won two of three meetings in Atlanta from April 27-29.