WASHINGTON -- Cy Young candidate Stephen Strasburg looks to rebound from a rare loss when the Washington Nationals open a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.Strasburg (15-2, 2.80 ERA) turned in his shortest outing of the season Saturday, leaving after 4 2/3 innings of a 7-1 loss to the Giants. He allowed four runs on eight hits.Hell face a Braves team that found itself on the wrong side of history Thursday when they lost 11-3 to Milwaukee. The Brewers became the eighth team in baseballs expansion era to score in every inning as they earned a split of the four-game series at Miller Park.It wasnt our best day out there, Atlanta catcher Anthony Recker said. We just werent able to get guys out when we needed to. They did a good job of putting some good pitches in play.Strasburg is 8-7 with a 3.55 ERA in 21 starts versus the Braves. That includes 4-4 with a 2.94 ERA in 11 games at Nationals Park.Right hander Mike Foltynewicz (5-5, 4.37) makes his first start against Washington. He held the Cardinals to a run on six hits on Sunday to even his record.Foltynewicz faces a first-place Washington team that hopes to have Bryce Harper back in the lineup. Harper has missed three straight games with neck stiffness. Manager Dusty Baker was hopeful the day-and-a-half from Wednesday afternoon to Friday night might make the difference.The Nationals (67-46), who were also missing infielders Ryan Zimmerman (left wrist contusion) and Stephen Drew (vertigo-like symptoms), were held to one run in back-to-back games before busting out for seven runs and 11 hits -- including four doubles -- against the Indians on Wednesday.We had been depending on the home run quite a bit, Baker said. We like to have some offensive balance. You know, keep the line moving, first to third. Thats contagious.Jayson Werth homered for the second straight game and added a double. The 37-year-old left fielder has reached base in 40 consecutive games.I wouldnt trade him for the world, Gio Gonzalez said. Hes the guy you want in that lineup. Its something thats always exciting to see when hes up in the batters box. Hes going to fight you to the end.Atlantas Nick Markakis arrives in Washington on a hot streak. After two hits Thursday, hes batting .351 with nine runs, six doubles, two homers, 15 RBI and 12 walks since the All-Star Break.Erick Aybar had three hits Thursday, finishing a triple short of the cycle.Matt Kemp was out of the starting lineup Thursday for the first time since joining the Braves, but flied out as a pinch hitter. Kemp his hitting .200 with two doubles and a homer since his trade from San Diego.In his career, Kemp is 2-for-10 versus Strasburg. Freddie Freeman, on the other hand, is 12 for 31 with three homers and nine RBI, and Nick Markakis is 5 for 15.The Nationals own a 7 1/2-game lead over second-place Miami. The last-place Braves (43-72) are 4-3 on a 10-game trip as they work to avoid 100 losses.I think were doing a pretty good job of hanging in there right now with all the injuries and stretching the organization as thin as we have, manager Brian Snitker said Thursday, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Were doing okay. Brett Favre Packers Jersey . Ouellette, from Montreal, already has three Olympic gold medals since joining the team in 1999. Elgton Jenkins Packers Jersey .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. http://www.packersrookiestore.com/Packers-Jaire-Alexander-Jersey/ . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. Aaron Rodgers Jersey . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars. Bart Starr Jersey . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. BATON ROUGE, La. -- The 20th-ranked LSU Tigers are about to get a better idea of how concerned they should be about their quarterback play.Danny Etling restored a measure of hope to the Death Valley faithful when he relieved season-opening starter Brandon Harris and produced three straight touchdown drives in a victory over Jacksonville State last weekend. Hes bound to get a tougher test on Saturday night when LSU (1-1) opens Southeastern Conference play by hosting Mississippi State (1-1, 1-0).LSU coach Les Miles said his goals this week have included exposing Etling to the things we need to have him do and allow him to show us that he can continue to do what hes done.But with much still unknown about what Etling can do in SEC play, Miles has been careful not to marginalize Harris, who spent all of last season as the starter and took first-team snaps throughout spring practice and preseason camp in August.His talents and abilities need to be prepared to go into the game and play significant snaps, Miles said of Harris. We certainly have visited with him and would think that he understands his role.Etling completed six of his first eight passes for 100 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown strike, but finished 6-of-14 after missing on all six of his second-half passes with two turnovers -- an interception and fumble.Mississippi State, which labored through a stunning, season-opening loss to South Alabama, rebounded with a 27-14 win in their SEC opener against South Carolina last weekend. That victory gave the Bulldogs more confidence in sophomore quarterback, Nick Fitzgerald, who can give defenses fits with his feet.Fitzgeralds 195 yards rushing against the Gamecocks set a school record and brought about comparisons to former Bulldogs star QB Dak Prescott.Hes faster than Dak and a little bit more explosive than Dak with the ball in his hands, Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen said. I dont know if hes as physical as Dak was. Its a little different style of running.---Some other things to know about the Mississippi State-LSU matchup on Saturday:JEFFERSONS SURGE: Mississippi SState defensive lineman A.ddddddddddddJ. Jefferson leads the SEC with six tackles for a loss and is tied for the league lead with three sacks through two games. The 6-foot-3, 280-pound senior had a breakout season in 2015 with 13+ tackles for a loss and five sacks, but might dwarf those numbers this fall. Hes a hard worker, Mullen said of Jefferson. Maybe hes not one of the freakier athletes that people have in the league. He kind of got it done through development and hard work.FOURNETTES FATE: LSU star running back Leonard Fournette, who sat out last weekends victory to rest his bruised left ankle, is expected to be in uniform. Fournette gained 138 yards in LSUs season opening loss to Wisconsin, but might have a lessened workload if he plays against MSU. Miles said LSU coaches are aware of Fournettes tender ankle. LSU has that luxury. Fournettes backup, sophomore Derrius Guice, rushed for 155 yards in his first career start last weekend.BEHIND THE LINE: Mississippi States defense has 22 tackles for a loss already this season, which ranks first in the SEC and third nationally. The Bulldogs had 11 TFLs against both South Alabama and South Carolina. Theyve also allowed a mere 60 net yards rushing per game. If you are not careful, Mississippi State will eat your lunch, LSU fullback J.D. Moore said. They are built to stop the run.WHITES RETURN: LSU cornerback TreDavious Whites decision not to turn pro and return for his senior season is already paying big dividends for the Tigers. White has scored a touchdown each on defense (interception return) and special teams (punt return).BOUTTES BACK: LSU starting guard Josh Boutte has returned from a one-game suspension stemming from his flagrant foul late in LSUs loss to Wiscon