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Nationals' Monday night lineup vs Braves: Doug Fister in D.C.

The Washington Nationals send Doug Fister to the mound against the Atlanta Braves and left-hander Mike Minor in the first game of the divisional rivals three-game set in the nation's capital. Game time 7:05 PM EDT tonight in D.C.

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Washington Nationals' right-hander Doug Fister's first outing against Atlanta as part of the Nats' rotation took place back on June 21st in D.C. when the 6'8'' starter threw eight scoreless on the mound in Nationals Park. Fister limited Braves' hitters to five hits and a walk in his second career start opposite the Nationals' NL East rivals.

"All of his pitches for strikes. Working ahead in the count. All of those things that pitchers do when they go deep into a game." -Matt Williams on Fister vs the Braves in June

"He felt great and pitched really well," Nats' skipper Matt Williams said after the Nationals' 3-0 win that night. "Controlled the zone all night."

"All of his pitches for strikes," Williams continued. "Working ahead in the count. All of those things that pitchers do when they go deep into a game. He did that tonight."

Fister earned his sixth win of the season in that start.

Since the last time he faced the Braves, the 30-year-old, first-year National has gone (6-4) in 12 starts, with a 2.67 ERA, 12 walks and 46 Ks in 77 ⅔ IP, over which opposing hitters have put up a .274/.305/.384 line against him.

Fister makes his second start against the Braves this season and his third against Atlanta in his career tonight in the nation's capital where the NL East's first and second-place teams start a three-game set.

On the mound for the visitor's is Mike Minor, the Braves' 26-year-old lefty.

In Minor's only start against the Nats this season, he received no decision in a 6-4 Braves' win back on June 20th in Nats Park, giving up seven hits, two walks and two earned runs while striking out a season-high 11 batters.

That outing left Atlanta's '09 1st Round pick (3-2) against Washington in his five-year career with a 4.64 ERA, 27 walks and 43 Ks in 52 ⅓ IP over which Nationals' hitters have put up a .270/.356/.429 line against him.

The Nationals as a team have a .268/.331/.395 line vs lefties, good for 3rd/1st/4th across the line among National League teams.

• Here's the Nationals' lineup for the series opener with the Braves: