Braves send Max Fried to the mound Saturday in game three versus the Nationals

Max Fried talks about his scheduled Saturday start against the Washington Nationals

The Braves and Nationals continue a weekend series with the third of four games tonight...Atlanta and Washington will meet for four more games next weekend to wrap up the season series.

The Braves and Nationals have split their first four games this season, including a doubleheader yesterday...The Braves won Game 1, 7-1, before the Nationals took the nightcap, 10-9. 

The Braves went 11-8 against the Nationals last year, winning the season set with Washington for the second consecutive season...From 2015-2017, the Braves went 18-39 (.316) against their NL East rival. 

LHP Max Fried pitches against the Nationals for the first time this season and just the sixth time in his career, making his fifth start...Is 1-2 with a 5.00 ERA (10 ER/18.0 IP) over his first five games... He earned his only win versus the Nationals exactly one year ago today, pitching 7.0 one-hit innings and striking out nine.

RHP Erick Fedde makes his third career appearance against Atlanta and just his second start...Fedde has allowed 14 hits and 14 earned runs in just 5.2 career innings (22.50 ERA) in his two appearances versus the Braves, and Atlanta has outscored Washington, 21-9, in the two games. 

FREDDIE STAYS HOT: 1B Freddie Freeman finished 1-for-4 in Game 1 of yesterday’s doubleheader and 2-for-3 in Game 2 last night, extending his seasonbest hitting streak to 18 games...His run is tied for the longest active streak in the majors with Chicago-AL’s José Abreu, and is the longest such streak by a Braves player this season. • Freeman has just two longer hitting streaks in his career...He had a 20-game streak in 2011 (7/17- 8/6) and a career-best 30-game streak in 2016 (8/24-9/28). • Freeman owns four of the Braves’ eight longest hitting streaks since his debut in 2011. • Dating to a doubleheader on August 9 at Philadelphia, a span of 23 games, Freeman has gone 33-for-83 (.398) with 14 extra-base hits (nine doubles, a triple, four home runs), and more walks (17) than strikeouts (12)...He has reached base safely in 51-of-101 (.505) plate appearances in this time. • His 27 walks on the season are third most in the majors and second most in the NL...Only Carlos Santana (33) and Bryce Harper (28) have more. • Freeman doubled in the third inning of Game 2 last night, his team-most 12th of the season...The double was the 331st of his 11-year career, which moved him past Andruw Jones for sole possession of fourth on the franchise all-time list, and second in the Atlanta-era annals (since ’66)…Only Hank Aaron (600), Chipper Jones (549) and Eddie Mathews (338) have more.