Fresh off of back-to-back wins over a division leader, the Washington Nationals will host the red-hot San Francisco Giants for a four-game series that begins Monday night. The Giants are one game below .500 and have had their struggles on the road at 23-34, but they have won seven of their past nine games overall.
They're hoping their recent series win at Cincinnati will be a turning point. "It's huge," said Giants shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald, who homered in their 8-2 win Sunday. "We know every series from here on out is a big one for us.
We can't take any games for granted at this point of the season. It was a huge series win for us, and we hope to take that with us into Washington." Fitzgerald's homer was his 11th of the season, but 10 of them have come in the past 16 games.
The rookie had one through his first 34 games. Slugger Matt Chapman also went deep Sunday, his 17th of the season, and extended his own hot streak. Over his past 11 games, Chapman is batting .
390 (16-for-41) with four doubles, four homers, eight RBIs and 10 runs scored. Luis Garcia Jr. has been wielding a hot bat for the Nationals.
He racked up multiple hits in all three games against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, as Washington took two of three. In those games, Garcia went 8-for-12 with a double, two home runs and five runs scored. San Francisco right-hander Logan Webb (8-8, 3.
49 ERA), gets the ball Monday and can hardly do any better than his last time out. Against the visiting Oakland Athletics on W.