BASEBALL PREVIEW: Nationals at Diamondbacks

PHOENIX (Interstat) — The Washington Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks open a three-game series Friday night at Chase Field, with both clubs looking to shake off recent struggles.

Washington (31-32) has lost three straight, including a 4-1 defeat Wednesday against Miami. The Nationals have dropped five of their last seven and sit two games below .500.

Arizona (32-29) has lost two in a row, most recently a 7-0 shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. The Diamondbacks remain three games above .500 but have dropped four of their last six.

Left-hander Foster Griffin (6-2, 3.18 ERA) is scheduled to start for Washington. Right-hander Merrill Kelly (5-3, 4.02 ERA) is also listed as a probable pitcher for the Nationals.

Arizona right-hander Ryne Nelson is expected to start for the Diamondbacks, but no official probable pitcher has been announced.

Players to watch

Nationals right-hander Andrew Alvarez has been effective in relief recently. Over his last five appearances, Alvarez has allowed seven earned runs across 16 1/3 innings (3.86 ERA) with 17 strikeouts. He tossed 4 2/3 innings Wednesday against Miami, allowing one earned run on four hits.

Diamondbacks right-hander Ryan Thompson has been reliable out of the bullpen. Over his last seven appearances, Thompson has allowed one earned run across 6 1/3 innings (1.42 ERA). He worked 1 2/3 innings Wednesday against the Dodgers, allowing three hits but no runs.

Projection

The Interstat game simulator projects a 6-4 Arizona victory. The Diamondbacks are listed as -1.5 favorites on the spread, with the over/under set at 8.5 runs.

Up next

The series continues Saturday and Sunday before Washington travels to San Francisco for a three-game set. Arizona heads to Miami for three games following the series.