Washington @ San Diego preview

Last Meeting ( May 16, 2015 ) Washington 4, San Diego 1

San Diego native Stephen Strasburg makes his second career start at Petco Park on Sunday as the Washington Nationals face the Padres in the finale of their four-game series. Strasburg is looking to bounce back from the worst outing of his career on Tuesday, when he surrendered eight runs (seven earned) over 3 1/3 innings in a 14-6 loss to Arizona.

The Padres opened the series with an 8-3 victory but have been outscored 14-1 over the last two losses. The offense could receive a boost on Tuesday with the expected return of Wil Myers, who will miss his third straight game Sunday due to a tendinitis in his left wrist. While the Padres' .500 record reflects their inconsistent play, the Nationals have won 14-of-18 to move within one-half game of the first-place New York Mets in the NL East. Washington's Wilson Ramos brings an 18-game hitting streak into Sunday’s contest.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Washington), FSN San Diego

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (2-3, 4.73 ERA) vs. Padres RH Ian Kennedy (2-2, 5.92)

Strasburg has lost three of his last four outings and hit a new low on Tuesday, when he exited after yielding Mark Trumbo’s three-run homer with one out in the fourth inning. “That was as bad as I’ve seen him as far as making mistakes with some pitches,” Nationals pitching coach Steve McCatty told the Washington Post. “You’ve just got to throw it out the window.” Strasburg owns a 3-1 record and 3.24 ERA in four career starts against the Padres.

After recording two straight wins, Kennedy came out flat on Tuesday as he allowed five runs in 4 2/3 innings of an 11-4 loss to Seattle. The 30-year-old struggled with his velocity after throwing 35 pitches during a four-run first inning. Ian Desmond is 6-for-16 against Kennedy, who is 3-2 with a 2.31 ERA in six career starts versus Washington - including a one-hit, seven-inning performance at Nationals Park on April 27, 2014.

WALK-OFFS

1. Padres OF Justin Upton is hitting .348 (24-for-69) at home compared to .206 (14-for-68) on the road.

2. Nationals OF Jayson Werth will miss his second consecutive game Sunday with a left wrist contusion and is expected to undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.

3. San Diego OF Melvin Upton (foot) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso on Monday.

PREDICTION: Nationals 6, Padres 3