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Washington Nationals' Thursday night lineup vs the Atlanta Braves

The Nationals and Atlanta Braves start a four-game set in the nation's capital tonight with Jordan Zimmermann on the mound against right-hander Gavin Floyd. Can the Nationals make it three straight after sweeping their two-game set with the Astros?

By Patrick Reddington
Rob Carr

The Washington Nationals fell behind 4-2 after a four-run fourth by the Houston Astros last night, but the Nats rallied for their 17th comeback win of the season, scoring a run in the sixth and three more in the seventh in what ended up a 6-5 win.

Nationals' Manager Matt Williams talked after the game about the confidence that allowed them to rally for their eighth straight win over the Astros, a team they've beaten in 12 of the last 13 contests between the two franchises, after they struggled to score at all in dropping three straight to the St. Louis Cardinals last weekend, telling the reporter who asked if something's changed recently that it's not really something new for the Nationals.

"We have the ability to go first-to-third. We have the ability to steal second and steal third. And some guys that can hit it out of the park." -Matt Williams on the Nationals' ability to stage comebacks

"I don't think it's changed," Williams said. "We were faced with some early deficits early in the season that we overcame. So I think that helps. We're always in a game and we have the ability to stretch the lineup. We have the ability for guys to get on base like Jayson [Werth] did. We have the ability to go first-to-third. We have the ability to steal second and steal third. And some guys that can hit it out of the park. So we just create those opportunities and we're not out of a game. We feel good about one swing of the bat we can get back in it and that's what happened tonight."

Tonight in the nation's capital, the Nationals take on an Atlanta Braves team that's done to them what Washington has done to Houston over the last few seasons. The Braves are 5-1 against the Nationals this year and 18-7 against the Nats since the start of the 2013 campaign.

The Nationals send Jordan Zimmermann to the mound tonight in Nationals Park.

In three starts so far in June, the 28-year-old, '07 2nd Round pick out of the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, is (2-1) with a 0.36 ERA, a 2.18 FIP, two walks (0.72 BB/9) and 22 Ks (7.56 K/9) in 25 IP over which he's held the opposition to a combined .121/.141/.193 line.

Can Zimmermann keep it up against Atlanta? Can the Nationals keep the Braves on the ropes after they've struggled and dropped six of their last ten games?

• Here's the Nationals' lineup for the first game of four to be played in D.C. this weekend:

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