This game marks the point in the season when the final 18 games are remaining in the regular season, and after tonight’s game is a “final”, the regular season is 90% complete. For the Atlanta Braves, they are playing for next year and if rumors are true, they will look very different with a new manager as Brian Snitker is on the hot seat.
Jon Heyman on Twitter: “there’s uncertainty surrounding Braves managerial situation. if they make a change, here are the 2 candidates. https://t.co/WLzPBary8M” https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/908061105314041857
Max Scherzer will pitch tonight and have 3 scheduled regular season starts after this. Here’s some math: Scherzer is at 178 1/3 innings this season due mostly to the neck issue compared to 228 1/3 innings last year. If all goes according to plan with Scherzer he can coast into another Cy Young award and 205 innings of work plus extra rest before the Nats first post-season game on October 6th in the NLDS.
Of course that is my plan with 95 pitches per start, and Scherzer and Mike Maddux and Dusty Baker have the actual plan.
The plan for the Braves tonight is pitching rookie Luiz Gohara. He got hit around hard during his last start against the Marlins.
For the Nationals tonight, Jayson Werth is back in the line-up counter to some of the rumors that started to circulate yesterday, but Daniel Murphy will sit out tonight’s game due to a sore neck.
Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals
Stadium: Nationals Park
1st Pitch: 7:05 pm EDT
TV: MASN, FOX Sports – Southeast, MLB.TV
Nats Radio: 106.7 FM The Fan; SiriusXM® Sirius 205 XM 186 (Internet 869)
Line-ups subject to change (without notice):
Here's how we're lining up as Mad Max takes the mound tonight. pic.twitter.com/LRTwAOxTwh
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 13, 2017
