The set-up: The day after staff ace Max Scherzer was scratched from Friday's night start (Washington won easily 7-1), Stephen Strasburg is slated to make his first big-league appearance in nearly four weeks on Saturday. The Nats are looking for their third straight victory in the four-game series and to improve on their NL-best 38-22 road record. The Nats own a commanding 14-game lead in the NL East at 73-47 but that still leaves them a stunning 13 games back of the Dodgers, who own MLB's best record of 86-34. The Padres are just playing out the string, although I'm sure they'd like to stay out of the NL West basement, currently being occupied by the Giants (Padres lead the Giants by four games).

The pitching matchup: Stephen Strasburg (10-3 & 3.25 ERA) has been sidelined with a nerve impingement in his right elbow but takes the mound for Washington tonight, up against SD lefty Travis Wood (2-4 & 6.46 ERA). Strasburg expressed his frustration after making a rehab start for Single-A Potomac earlier this week. "I felt like I was ready to come back before this," Strasburg told reporters. "But they wanted to be conservative, so hopefully this was enough." Strasburg dominated the Padres back on May 27 when he registered a career-best 15 strikeouts and gave up three hits in seven scoreless innings. He is 6-1 with a 2.93 ERA in seven career starts against San Diego. Wood is 1-1 with a 5.57 ERA in four starts since being acquired from Kansas City (Padres are 2-2). He's s 1-0 with a 5.59 ERA in nine career appearances (two starts / teams are 1-1) against Washington.

The pick: It's hard to be too confident about Strasburg's readiness (despite what he says) plus the Nats average 5.38 RPG away from home and note that Wood's last three starts for San Diego have all ended "over the total," with those three finals averaging 12.67 RPG. Make the Over an 8* play.