Inconsistent Nationals face challenge in surging Braves

The Washington Nationals will try to cool off Michael Harris II and the surging Atlanta Braves when the teams open a four-game series on Monday night.

The visiting Braves have won five straight and 9 of 11 following a 4-2 win at the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday night.

Washington salvaged the finale of a three-game series against the visiting San Francisco Giants with a 3-0 shutout on Sunday.

The Nationals will send right-hander Jake Irvin (1-2, 6.16 ERA) against Braves righty Bryce Elder (2-1, 0.77) in the opener.

Irvin lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0 in his last start on Wednesday, working five innings and giving up two runs on four hits. He settled in after allowing both runs in the first inning and retired 13 of the final 16 batters he faced.

"Just making sure we kept guys off-balance, making sure we weren't making it too easy for them," Irvin said.

Irvin is 2-2 with a 3.79 ERA in seven career starts versus Atlanta since 2023.

Last time out, Elder did not allow a run in collecting a 6-3 home win over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday. He yielded four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

Elder is 2-2 with a 3.03 ERA in 38 2/3 innings over six career starts against the Nationals since 2022.

Harris homered and had three hits as Atlanta rallied from a 2-0 deficit to complete the three-game sweep at Philadelphia. Ozzie Albies had an RBI double for the Braves, who outscored the Phillies 16-3 in the series.

Harris has six hits in his last seven at-bats with two walks, two homers and four runs, raising his average to .290. He has three home runs this season when hitting ninth in the batting order.

"Maybe they pitch me differently in the ninth spot because I've got (Ronald Acuna Jr.) behind me, but just try to go up there and be myself and get the job done," Harris said after the game.

In Washington on Sunday, three pitchers combined to shut out the Giants. Opener PJ Poulin left with two outs in the first, Miles Mikolas tossed four scoreless innings and left-hander Andrew Alvarez, called up earlier in the day from Triple-A Rochester, pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.

"Knew (Alvarez) could give us some length," Nationals manager Blake Butera said. "Knew he could give our bullpen a well-deserved rest given what we're in now, 17 (days of games) in a row and that went as perfectly as it could have. All those guys threw the ball extremely well."

Curtis Mead smacked a two-run homer and Keibert Ruiz had two hits, an RBI and a run for Washington. The Nationals -- including Mead -- bounced back from a day of physical and mental mistakes in a 7-6, 12-inning loss to the Giants on Saturday. Mead was tagged out running to third base standing up instead of sliding.

"Really happy for him," Butera said of Mead. "We had some good conversations today about (Saturday's) game and some of the mistakes we made -- not just Curtis but as a group -- and (good) to see them learn from them and flush them, be ready to go today. Happy for Curtis. That was a huge home run he hit there."

Atlanta took the season series 9-4 in 2025.

--Field Level Media